HOLY LAND 



CONTAINING 



g GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL 



SKETCHES, 



I 
I 

I 

1 



^ FOR 

$ Sl T KDAY-SCH00LS ; BIBLE-CLASSES, , AND FAMILIES. 




BY 



GEORGE H. EMERSON. 




BOSTON: 
SHED BY A. TOMPKINS 

38 AND 40 CoilNHlLL. 

1 8 5 6. 



i 
I 

i 



1 

1 

s 
1 




1 



PLACES REFERRED TO ON 



THE MAP OF PALESTINE. 



1. 


Gebal. 


34. 


Mt. Ebal. 


2. 


Beirut. 


35. 


Mt. Gerizim. 


3. 


Sidon. 


36. 


Jacob's Well. 


4. 


Sarepta. 


37. 


Shiloh. 


5. 


Tyre. 


38. 


Bethel. 


6. 


Acre. 


39. 


Gibe ah. 


7. 


R. Leontes. 


40. 


Antipatris. 


8. 


Mt. Hermon. 


41. 


Dor. 


9. 


Dan. 


42. 


Csesarea. 


10. 


Csesarea-Philippi. 


43. 


Joppa. 


11. 


Lake Merom. 


44. 


Lydda. 


12. 


Safed. 


45. 


Ekron. 


13. 


Capernaum. 


46. 


Ashdod. 


14. 


Magdala. 


47. 


Ascalon. 


15. 


Tiberias. 


48. 


Gath? 


19. 


Cana. 


49. 


Gaza. 


20. 


Nazareth. 


50. 


Gerar. 


21. 


Mt. Tabor. 


51. 


Beersheba. 


22. 


Endor. 


52. 


Hebron. 


23. 


Little Hermon. 


53. 


Bethlehem. 


24. 


Nain. 


54. 


Mt. of Olives. 


25. 


P. Jezreel. 


55. 


Bethany. 


26. 


Oilboa. 


56. 


Jericho. 


27. 


Bathshan. 


57. 


Engedi. 


28. 


Gadara. 


58. 


Masada. 


29. 


Mt. Carmel. 


59. 


R. Arnon. 


30. 


Megiddo. 


60. 


R. Jabbok. 


31. 


Taanach. 


61. 


Nebo? 


32. 


Samaria. 


62. 


Gilead. 


33. 


Shechem. 







I 



PLACES REFERRED TO ON THE PLAN OF 
JERUSALEM. 



1. 


Solomon's Palace. 


2. 


Dwellings of the Priests. 


3. 


David's Palace. 


4. 


David's Tomb. 


5. 


Tower of Hippicus. 


6. 


Hezekiah's Pool. 


7. 


Castle of Antonio. 


8. 


Old Gate. 


9. 


Ephraim Gate. 


10. 


Valley Gate. 


11. 


Water Gate. 


12. 


Sheep Gate. 



13. Fish Gate. 

14. Lower Pool of Gihon. 

15. Pool of Siloam. 

16. Fountain of the Virgin. 

17. Tophet. 

18. Hill of Evil Counsel. 

19. Mount of Offence. 

20. King's Garden. 

21. Village of Siloam. 

22. Garden of Gethsemane. 

23. Tomb of the Virgin 

Mary. 



THE 



HOLY LAND: 

CONTAINING 

GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL 



SKETCHES, 



FOR 



SUNDAY-SCHOOLS, BIBLE-CLASSES, AND FAMILIES, 



GEORGE H. EMERSON. 



BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED BY A. TOMPKINS. 
1856. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by 
A. TOMPKINS, 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Dist. of Massachusetts. 




Stereotyped by 
HOBABT & BOBBINS, 
Boston, 



^5 

PREFACE. 



That an acquaintance with the physical 
character of the Holy Land is a most valua- 
ble preparation for reading the narrative and 
historical portions of the Bible, there can be 
no occasion to prove, Certainly the propriety 
of communicating such preparatory knowledge 
to the young will not be called in question. 
He who reads the Bible knowing beforehand 
something of the prominent localities it recog- 
nizes, has an immense advantage over one not 
possessing such preliminary information. 

This little book is intended for the use of 
Bible-Classes, and the larger classes in 
Sunday-Schools. Its plan is to put the 



VIII PREFACE. 

scholar, as it were, into the Land of the Bible; 
and, while his eye rests on a particular city, 
mountain, plain, valley, or river, to acquaint 
him with some of the Scripture events or 
scenes connected therewith. Of course, not 
many details will be looked for in a work of so 
narrow dimensions ; nor will it be expected 
that every Scripture locality is brought under 
view. Yet it is confidently believed that 
enough information is given to prepare the 
scholar for reading the Bible with a new inter- 
est, and therefore with increased profit. 

The map, accompanying the book, will serve 
the student's purpose while committing the 
lesson ; and it is expected that he will verify, 
as far as practicable, every geographical state- 
ment, by careful reference thereto. Indeed, 
without constant reference to a map, very lit- 
tle knowledge of the Holy Land can be dis- 
tinctly conveyed. The teacher will greatly 



PREFACE. IX 

facilitate the recitations by using in connection 
therewith some one of the large maps of Pal- 
estine expressly prepared for Sunday- Schools. 
Every school should have one. 

Let every lesson be thoroughly committed. 
To secure this only valuable result, no regard 
should be had to the length of the recitation. 
Let what is attempted be executed well, how- 
ever small may be the task attempted. It is 
earnestly hoped that teachers will pay strict 
regard to this rule. 

A series of questions, prepared, as far as 
practicable, so as to suggest without antici- 
pating the answer, have been appended, for 
the use of teachers who may need them. Still, 
the teacher will further the interests of his 
class far better by getting the lesson him- 
self. This will enable him to conduct the 
recitation without depending on the una- 
voidably dull and mechanical process of read- 



X PREFACE. 

ing the questions. An acquaintance with the 
subject-matter will prompt the question most 
likely to meet the immediate object. 

In the preparation of this book resort has 
been had to the usual authorities. Among 
these may be named Robinson, Kitto, Calmet, 
Rohr, Stevens, Nevin, and Clarke. It is 
hardly necessary to say, that without constant 
reference to Robinson's " Biblical Researches 
in Palestine," no progress could be made in 
a work like the one here attempted. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. Page 
Names and Geographical Position of the Country, . 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Political Divisions and General Character, ... 17 

CHAPTER III. 
Phoenicia, 21 

CHAPTER IV. 
Phcenicia, Continued, 26 

CHAPTER V. 

Phoenicia, Continued, 31 

CHAPTER VI. 
The Mountains op Lebanon, 35 

CHAPTER VII. 
The Mountains of Lebanon, Continued, 40 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Mount Hermon and Sources of the Jordan, .... 44 

CHAPTER IX. 
Be A of Galilee and Vicinity, 50 

CHAPTER X. 

Sea of Galilee and Vicinity, Continued, 53 

CHAPTER XI. 
Nazareth and Neighboring Localities, 57 



xn 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XH. 
Mounts Tabor, Little Hermon, Gllboa, 62 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Mount Carmel and the Plain op Esdraelon, ... 65 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Samaria. — Mount Gerizim. — Jacob's "Well, .... 71 



CHAPTER XV. 
Shechem. — Shiloh. — Bethel, 75 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Anttpatris. — Plain of Sharon. — Gesarea, .... 81 

CHAPTER XVII. 
The Philistine Cities, 86 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Beersheba. — Hebron. — Bethlehem:, 92 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Jerusalem, 97 

CHAPTER XX. 
Jerusalem, Continued, 103 

CHAPTER XXI. 
Jerusalem, Continued, 110 

CHAPTER XXII. 
The Environs of Jerusalem, 115 

CHAPTER XXm. 
Mount of Olives. — Jericho, 119 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
The Jordan. — Dead Sea, 125 

CHAPTER XXV. 
Adjacent Countries, 131 

QUESTIONS, ' 137 



THE HOLY LAND. 



CHAPTER I. 

NAMES AND GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION OF THE COUN- 
TRY. 

1. The Land of the Bible is spoken of under 
several different names. It is very generally called 
The Holt Land. It has received this name be- 
cause it was selected by God for a holy purpose. 
It was made the residence of his chosen people, 
the J ews. It was made the place where men should 
know the true God when in all other countries 
they were ignorant of him. It was made the place 
where the pure worship of God should be preserved 
while in all other regions men were sunk in idola- 
try. It was made the place of Christ's nativity, 
ministry, and death. It was made the place where 
the Christian religion should be given to the world, 
and where efforts for its spread among men should 
be commenced. These things are very good rea- 
sons why the country should be called The Holy 
Land. 

2. Palestine is the most common geographical 
name. It is the name which generally appears on 
the map. It received this name from the Philis- 
tines. The Philistines occupied the southern por- 

2 



14 



THE HOLY LAND. 



tion of the country, near the sea. They were a 
commercial people, and were known to the Greeks. 
Hence, the Greeks usually called the whole country 
Palestine ; and it is from them chiefly that this 
name has come into use. The name also appears 
in the Bible. It will be convenient to speak of the 
country generally under one or the other of its 
most frequently used names — Palestine or the 
Holy Land. 

3. The first name known in the Bible is The 
Land of Canaan. Canaan was first the name of 
a man. He was the son of Ham, and the grand- 
son of Noah. After the confusion at Babel, the 
descendants of Noah were scattered over different 
parts of the earth. The country we are about to 
describe fell to Noah's grandson, Canaan. The 
territory was divided among Canaan's eleven sons, 
and so it was called the Land of Canaan. This 
name appears very frequently in the Old Testa- 
ment. 

4. The country is also called The Land of 
Israel. Israel is a name given to the patriarch 
Jacob ; and, hence, the descendants of Jacob were 
called the People of Israel. This was God's chosen 
people. The name of Jews was given the same 
people at a later period. The country first occu- 
pied by the Canaanites was given to this people. 
So the Israelites drove out the Canaanites, and took 
possession of the land. And hence it received the 
name Land of Israel. 

5. Another name given to the country was The 
Land of Judah, or Judea. There were twelve 
tribes of the Israelites. Each tribe had a distinct 
name, which name was given to the part of the 
territory it was to occupy. Judah was the name 



THE HOLY LAND. 



15 



of much the largest tribe. This tribe was destined 
to attain very great importance among the Israel 
ites. Hence its name came to be applied to the 
whole country. Thus, what was first called the 
Land of Canaan, and next the Land of Israel, re- 
ceived for another name The Land of Judah, or, 
more briefly, Judea. The country is even now 
often called Judea. 

6. Still another name appears in The Land op 
Promise. The land was to be the inheritance of 
the chosen people, the Israelites, or J ews. As an 
inheritance, it was promised to the patriarchs 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was literally a 
promised land, and hence the name Land of 
Promise. This name appears in the New Testa- 
ment. 

7. On looking at the map of the Eastern Con- 
tinent, we find the country called Palestine in the 
western part of Asia. Its whole western side is 
seen to be a coast washed by the Mediterranean 
Sea. On its northern side we find the country 
named Syria. "We observe that the territory named 
Syria also touches the eastern side as far south as 
the Dead Sea. If we use a Bible-map, we discover, 
on the south, a region called Edom, or Idumea, or, 
perhaps, Arabia Petraea. This region has, at 
different times, been known by all these names. 
Its modern name is Arabia. If, now, we are asked 
how Palestine is bounded, we can answer, Pales- 
tine is bounded on the north by Syria, on the east 
by Syria and the Dead Sea, on the south by Edom 
or Idumea, and on the west by the Mediterranean 
Sea. 

8. If we compare Palestine with most of the 
other countries near it, we perceive it to be a small 



16 



THE HOLY LAND. 



territory. It will also seem small when we view it 
with an eye to the important place it holds in the 
world's history. Its extreme length from north to 
south is about one hundred and eighty miles. Its 
greatest width is about a hundred miles. Its 
average width is sixty-five miles. Hence, its whole 
area is rising eleven thousand square miles. It 
must be remembered, however, that Palestine is a 
hilly country, so that a due estimate of the extra 
surface arising from the unevenness of the land 
will considerably increase the number of square 
miles. By comparing Palestine with our own New 
Hampshire, we perceive that the two countries bear 
a general resemblance. Both are shaped somewhat 
alike, are nearly of equal size, and are hilly coun- 
tries, especially in the north. 

9. Among the places mentioned in the Bible are 
Babylon, Nineveh, Antioch, Tarsus, Ephesus, 
Athens, Rome, and Egypt. Jerusalem was the 
great metropolis of the Holy Land. The position 
of Jerusalem with reference to the places just enu- 
merated will indicate very generally the position 
of the Holy Land with reference to other countries 
named in the Bible. Babylon was about east from 
Jerusalem, and distant from it about five hundred 
miles. Nineveh was to the north-east, and distant 
about six hundred miles. Antioch was to the north, 
and distant about three hundred miles. Tarsus was 
to the north, and distant near four hundred miles. 
Ephesus was to the north-west, and distant six hun- 
dred miles. Athens is toward the north-west, and 
distant about seven hundred and fifty miles. Rome 
is somewhat west of north-west, and is about fourteen 
hundred miles from Jerusalem. The northern part of 
Egypt is a little south of west from Jerusalem, and 



THE HOLY LAND. 



17 



is distant from it about two hundred miles. All the 
places here named, except Babylon and Nineveh, 
could be reached by vessels from Palestine sailing 
on the Mediterranean Sea. It will greatly aid the 
student of the Bible to commit these particulars 
thoroughly to memory, as it will enable him to 
locate distinctly and accurately many important 
Scripture events. 

10. Palestine is about six thousand miles from 
Massachusetts. It is twice as far off as England. 
Its direction from Massachusetts is a little south of 
east. It is embraced within the same parallels of 
latitude as the southern halves of Georgia, Alaba- 
ma, and Mississippi. 



CHAPTER II. 

POLITICAL DIVISIONS AND GENERAL CHARACTER. 

1. The political divisions of Palestine were dif- 
ferent at different periods of its history. While it 
was the land of Canaan its divisions corresponded 
to the names of the sons of Canaan. The locality 
of these several divisions cannot be very accurately 
determined. It is probable that the Hivites lived 
in the north. The Phoenicians were Canaanites, 
and lived also in the north. In the south were the 
Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Amo- 
rites. A tribe more distinctively known as Canaan- 
ites occupied the middle. East of the Jordan were 
the Girgashites, the Kenites, Kenizzites, and Kad- 
monites. The Philistines on the south-west were 
2# 



18 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Canaanites. Familiarity with these names will be 
of much assistance in reading the Old Testament 
history. It was from most of these tribes that the 
Israelites were to conquer the " land of promise." 

2. New political divisions took place after the 
Israelites entered the land to possess it. There were 
twelve tribes of Israel. These were named as fol- 
lows : Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, 
Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and 
Benjamin. Before the conquest the tribe of Jo- 
seph was divided into the two tribes of Ephraim 
and Manasseh. A portion of the territory was 
assigned to each of these tribes. The tribe of Ma- 
nasseh received half its allotment on the west side 
of the Jordan, and the other half on the east. The 
phrase " half- tribe of Manasseh " means the peo- 
ple living on one of these separate allotments. 

3. The tribes of Asher, Naphtali, Zebulun, and 
Issachar, had allotments in the north. The tribes 
of Judah, Dan, Benjamin, and Simeon, had allot- 
ments in the south. The allotments of Ephraim 
and one of the half-tribes of Manasseh were in the 
middle. East of the Jordan, or " beyond Jordan," 
were the allotments of the other half-tribe of Ma- 
nasseh, Reuben, and Grad. The labor and applica- 
tion necessary to fix these names and localities in 
the memory are amply repaid in the light they 
throw on very much of the Old Testament. The 
tribes of Israel entered the Holy Land 1451 years 
before Christ. Solomon became King of Israel 
1015 years before Christ. Hence the period be- 
tween these two events is 436 years. Very much 
of the Old Testament history of this period is an 
account of the conflicts between the tribes of Israel 
and the tribes of Canaan. 



THE HOLY LAND. 



19 



4. Under David, father of Solomon, all the 
tribes were consolidated into one kingdom. Under 
Rehoboam, son of Solomon, the kingdom was divided 
into two parts. This was 975 years before Christ. 
Ten of the tribes revolted, and kept the name of 
Kingdom of Israel. The two remaining tribes of 
Judah and Benjamin took the name of King- 
dom of Judah. Hence there was a third political 
division into two kingdoms. 

5. In the time of Christ Palestine was divided 
into three provinces. These were Galilee, Sama- 
ria, and Judea. Galilee was on the north, and con- 
sisted of " Upper " and " Lower" Galilee. Judea 
was on the south. The middle embraced Samaria. 
Samaria did not, however, extend quite to the sea- 
coast. The narrow plain which separates it from 
the sea belonged to Judea. Judea was the largest 
province, and Samaria was the smallest. The 
narrative portions of the New Testament are based 
on this fourth political division. It may be of ser- 
vice to remember that in New Testament times all 
Palestine was subject to the Roman government. 

6. The country east of the Jordan is not gen- 
erally considered as strictly within the limits of 
Palestine. Many allusions, however, are made to it 
in the Bible. It is generally spoken of as the land 
" beyond Jordan." In the time of Christ its general 
name was Peraea. It was divided into eight dis- 
tricts. Among these were Peraea (in the limited 
sense), Gilead, Decapolis, and Trachonitis. Decap- 
olis was a district of ten cities. 

7. North of Galilee were Phoenicia and the 
Lebanon mountains. These regions are not usually 
considered as parts of Palestine. They are more 
properly the natural boundaries of Palestine on the 



20 



THE HOLY LAND. 



north. We have seen that the Phoenicians were a 
tribe of Canaanites. Their territory was a long 
and narrow plain between the sea and the Lebanon 
mountains. The conquests of the Israelites were 
never intended to embrace this region. A descrip- 
tion of the Holy Land may very properly commence 
with Phoenicia. 

8. It is always to be borne in mind that the 
political divisions recognized in the Bible seldom 
have the precision of modern times. The boundary 
lines which now divide nations are mostly mathe- 
matically exact. The boundary lines separating 
the nations of the Bible are seldom distinct, and 
often change with the progress of history. Hardly 
any two maps of the country agree exactly ; but the 
agreement, however, is near enough for practical 
purposes. 

9. The general character of the Holy Land may 
be considered as embracing four strongly-marked 
features. The first is the extremely mountainous 
region of Lebanon in the north. The second is the 
narrow plain which runs almost the entire length of 
the Mediterranean coast. The third is the deep 
valley of the Jordan, which runs from the Lebanon 
mountains to the extreme southern boundary. The 
fourth is the mountainous ridge which runs through 
the middle, separating the coast plain from the 
Jordan valley. It may be added that a range 
of high mountains walls in the whole country on 
the east of the Jordan. 

10. Palestine is spoken of in the Bible as " a 
land flowing with milk and honey." This language 
means that the country was very fertile. The 
Bible particularly speaks of it as fruitful, as rich 
in pastures, as a good soil for tillage, as a goodly 



THE HOLY LAND. 



21 



heritage. It also speaks of it as containing a large 
and thriving population. The present state of the 
country is in sad contrast with these glowing pic- 
tures of fertility and abundance. Indolence and 
despotic government have turned the garden into a 
desert. Palestine only needs the hand of industry 
to make it once more "a land flowing with milk 
and honey." 



CHAPTER III. 

PHOENICIA. 

1. Travellers usually approach the Holy Land by 
way of the Mediterranean Sea. Their first glimpse 
of the country is a view of the higher elevations of 
Lebanon in the north. We have already seen that 
this mountainous region is not generally regarded 
as within the strict limits of Palestine. Yet the 
two regions are vitally connected in the Bible his- 
tory. Anything like a comprehensive account of 
the one will require some account of the other. 
As an introduction to the country more properly 
called Palestine, we cannot do better than take a 
survey of the region on its north, which embraces 
the mountains so famous in the Bible as Lebanon. 

2. In sailing towards this northern region we 
discover a narrow level tract between the base of 
the mountains and the shore. On the south this 
plain seems to terminate in the latitude of the 
ancient city of Tyre. This line of latitude we may 
regard as the dividing line between Palestine on 
the south and the region of Lebanon on the north. 



22 



THE HOLY LAND. 



From the site of Tyre we may follow the coast to 
the north for the distance of about one hundred and 
twenty miles. For this whole distance the narrow 
plain between the sea and the base of Lebanon is 
kept up. In some places the surface of this plain 
is broken. Occasionally the feet of the mountain 
entirely cross it. Sometimes this interruption runs 
into the sea and forms a rough promontory. In 
other places the interruption is in the shape of a 
rough, rocky, and slightly-elevated spur from the 
mountain. As a general thing, however, the tract, 
for the whole distance of a hundred and twenty 
miles, presents quite a level surface. 

3. We may also observe that this long plain is 
much narrower in some places than in others. In 
some places it is near twenty miles wide. In other 
places the base of the mountains comes close to the 
shore. There are also frequent indentures along the 
coast. In some of these indentures the inlet of the 
sea is nearly across the whole width of the plain. 
The boundaries of the plain, both on the water and 
the mountain sides, are in fact quite irregular. Its 
average width is estimated at about nine miles. 

4. The traveller does not fail to notice the numer- 
ous islands scattered along this line of coast. Many 
of these islands are tolerably near the main land. 
They serve to break the swell of the sea before it 
can reach the main shore ; and when the main body 
of the sea is very rough, the water between the 
islands and the coast is comparatively calm. The 
frequent indentures before spoken of make excellent 
natural harbors. A mere glance shows that this 
narrow region, with its islands, bays, and harbors, is 
wonderfully adapted to purposes of trade and navi- 
gation. No other country anywhere near Pales- 



THE HOLY LAND. 



23 



tine has so many and so good natural sea-ports. 
No other country has such extraordinary facilities 
for a thriving and extended commerce. No other 
country is by its position and structure so com- 
pletely mistress of the waters of the Mediterranean. 
The history of this singularly-shaped region shows 
that it once had a population that knew how to im- 
prove its great facilities. It is indeed the great 
seat of the trade, manufacture, and navigation, de- 
scribed in the Bible. This level strip, ninre miles in 
width, a hundred and twenty miles in length, and 
intervening between the mountains of Lebanon and 
the Mediterranean Sea, is none other than the re- 
nowned Phoenicia. 

5. In taking a land tour through the plain of 
Phoenicia the traveller passes over the sites of 
several cities famed in the times of the Bible. In 
the northern part are the remains of the ancient 
city of Aradus. It is known in the Bible as Arvad. 
The Arvadites were the descendants of Arvad, one 
of the sons of Canaan (Gen. 10 : 18). They were 
skilful mariners. They took a prominent part in 
the commerce for which Phoenicia was celebrated. 
The city was built upon a steep, rugged, and narrow 
island, two miles from the main shore. Many of 
its buildings were exceedingly lofty. Considering 
its narrow dimensions, it contained a large popula- 
tion, and it is believed to have exercised authority 
over much of the near coast territory. 

6. Following the coast a little more than twenty 
miles south of Aradus we come to the ruins of Arka. 
The Arkites were the descendants of another son 
of Canaan. Their city was a place of considerable 
importance. Its ruins are even now visible, and 
indicate architectural strength and elegance, 



24 



THE HOLY LAND. 



7. Continuing our course to the south, we reach 
Byblus. This is the Grebal of Scripture, the city of 
the Griblites (Josh. 13 : 5). Its site is about fifty- 
five miles south of Aradus. It is situated on rising 
ground, and very near the shore. The mountain 
presses close upon its eastern side. It was famous 
in ancient times as the supposed birthplace of the 
pagan deity called Adonis. The city is still inhab- 
ited, its population numbering about two thousand. 

8. Twenty miles further south is the city of 
Beirut. This city was known to the ancient Greeks 
and Romans as Berytus. It is uncertain whether 
the Scriptures make any mention of it. Some writ- 
ers suppose it to be the Scripture " Berothai," 
which was one of the " cities of Hadadezer " 
(2 Sam. 8 : 8). The similarity of the two names 
is the only reason for the supposition. It is now 
the most important city on the whole coast, and is 
the principal sea-port of the Holy Land. It is the 
centre of trade for the whole country, and is the 
port of the trade carried on between the great city 
of Damascus and the western nations. On a small 
scale, it is the same to the Holy Land and neigh- 
boring regions that Boston is to New England. 
Travellers sailing up the Mediterranean for Pales- 
tine generally land at Beirut. It is one of the 
liomes of the American missionaries. 

9. Beirut is a beautiful city, its position giving 
it a picturesque appearance. It is bounded on 
three sides by quite elevated ground. It is located 
on the northern side of a long promontory. It 
faces the water, looking towards the north. The 
ground on which it is built slopes gradually into the 
sea. Outside of the city, especially on the south, 
are numerous gardens and trees. From many of 



THE HOLY LAND. 



25 



its houses is had a very commanding view of one 
of the highest peaks of Lebanon. The general 
mountain scenery from Beirut is exceedingly beau- 
tiful. The city has had a checkered history, and 
has suffered much from war. It has been at differ- 
ent times in the possession of several nations. In 
some instances it has been nearly destroyed by the 
conquering army. Once it was destroyed by an 
earthquake. It had an eventful experience during 
the wars of the Crusaders. It was at one period 
a, prominent seat of Grecian learning. Beirut is 
worthy of particular notice, because it is now a 
principal point of departure with travellers in Pal- 
estine. Roads lead from it to many of the princi- 
pal cities named in the Bible, and one road in par- 
ticular crosses the mountains of Lebanon, and con- 
nects Beirut with Damascus. 

10. Continuing the southerly course from Beirut, 
the traveller passes along a very difficult road, 
sometimes leading across rocky promontories and 
deep sands. In some places it is narrowed into a 
mere path between the mountains and the sea. 
Occasionally it leads along the edge of sandy coves. 
The route, as a whole, is comparatively uninterest- 
ing. The plain grows more irregular, and the 
mountains bounding it on the east become smaller 
and less imposing. On the whole, the country is 
barren and cheerless. At a distance of about 
twenty miles from Beirut the scene suddenly 
changes, bringing us in sight of dense foliage and 
numerous gardens. A small promontory juts out 
into the Mediterranean, and an ancient wall sepa- 
rates this promontory from the main land. On the 
promontory side of the wall is the site of one of 
the most mighty cities of antiquity, and renowned 



26 



THE HOLY LAND. 



for its strength and opulence in Scripture history. 
This city is the famed Sidon. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PH(ENICIA, CONTINUED. 

1. Sidon is called in the Bible Zidon. This 
name was at first given to the whole country of 
Phoenicia. The name of Phoenicia was given to 
it by the Greeks and Romans at a much later 
period. The city is supposed to have received its 
name from Zidon, the eldest son of Canaan. It is 
the most ancient city in Phoenicia. Most of the 
cities of Phoenicia are supposed to have been 
settled by colonists from Sidon. The poet Homer 
makes mention of the city. When the Israelites 
took possession of the Holy Land, Sidon was as- 
signed to one of the tribes. They were never able, 
however, to conquer the place. The city was 
famous for its prosperous commerce, and also for 
the luxury and vice which too often result from 
such prosperity. It was the seat of extensive 
manufactures. It was particularly distinguished 
for its manufacture of glass. The fine arts were 
also cultivated within its borders. 

2. Over seven hundred years before the appear- 
ing of Christ Sidon was conquered by the Assyrians. 
About three hundred and thirty years before Christ 
it was conquered by Alexander the Great. At the 
time of Christ's appearance, Sidon, with all the 
rest of the country, was in the possession of the 



THE HOLY LAND. 



27 



Komans. At this period its commerce and power 
had greatly diminished, though it was still quite an 
opulent city. We are informed that Christ came 
into the territory of Sidon (Matt. 15 : 21). We 
are not informed that he ever entered the city. 
The apostle Paul tarried here among friends (Acts 
27 : 3). Many good buildings still exist in 
Sidon, and several of the best houses are built upon 
the wall which crosses the promontory. The streets, 
however, are narrow and crooked. The once ex- 
cellent harbor is now destroyed. Where the water 
was once deep enough for large vessels, only small 
boats can now float. The city still has some trade, 
though much has been diverted to Beirut. The 
city, with the plain belonging to it outside the 
wall, is well watered. The plain abounds in fruit- 
trees and gardens. The present population of Sidon 
does not probably exceed six thousand. 

3. On leaving Sidon the traveller is naturally 
anxious to reach a city of still greater renown. 
This city is the ancient Tyre. It is situated about 
eighteen miles south of Sidon. We have already 
seen that it may properly be regarded as the south- 
ern termination of Phoenicia. In travelling the 
route between the Sidon and Tyre, we pass along 
what is more particularly known as the Phoenician 
plain. In many places this plain is seen to be quite 
narrow, and its greatest width is not more than a 
mile. The mountains or elevated lands on the 
east sometimes come very near the shore. Though 
called a plain, its surface is, nevertheless, undulat- 
ing. Its soil is capable of much cultivation. It is 
observed that, except in the vicinities of Sidon and 
Tyre, it is, for the most part, in a waste condition. 
The mountains which wall it in on the east are 



28 



THE HOLY LAND. 



seen to be much lower than they are further north, 
being, in fact, simply high lands, with occasional 
bluffs. Even their tops admit of cultivation, and 
are generally covered with trees and shrubbery. 
Occasional villages adorn the sides of these ele- 
vated grounds. Nothing of the kind is seen on the 
route north of Sidon. 

4. About seven miles from Sidon, we come in 
sight of ruins. These ruins are near by a village 
called Sarafend, which is believed to be the " Za- 
rephath, which belongeth to Zidon," of the Old 
Testament (1 Kings 17 : 9). In the New Testa- 
ment it is called " Sarepta, a city of Sidon " 
(Luke 4 : 26). The place was distinguished as 
the residence of the prophet Elijah during a famine 
in Israel. He resided in the house of a poor widow, 
whose son he restored to life. 

5. No traveller enters within the walls of ancient 
Tyre without experiencing peculiar emotions. He 
does not forget that he has entered upon the site 
of a city that was once the mistress of the seas. 
He recollects with what graphic language the Bible 
describes its power, opulence, and commercial pros- 
perity. He calls to mind, also, the strong passages 
in which the wickedness of the inhabitants was de- 
picted. He is also reminded that the ground be- 
neath his feet was the subject of fearful prophecy, 
and he cannot open his eyes without seeing a lit- 
eral and startling fulfilment o£the prophecy. 

6. Tyre is believed to have been a colony of 
Sidon. If so, it soon outstripped the mother coun- 
try. In its day it became the greatest commercial 
city the world had ever seen, and was the great 
mart of trade for the world. People from every 
nation mingled in its streets. Here the products 



THE HOLY LAND. 



29 



of every country were bought, sold, and exchanged. 
The ships of Tyre were in every port, and its mari- 
ners were famed for their skill and daring. Tyre 
colonized various cities on the islands and shores 
of the Mediterranean. Carthage, Utica, and Cy- 
prus, were settled by Tyrians. Tyre obtained great 
wealth from extensive silver mines in Spain. Its 
ships brought tin from Britain. The resources 
of every known land were made to add to the opu- 
lence and greatness of Tyre. The merchants of 
Tyre were called " princes." Its traffickers were 
said to be " the honorable of the earth." Tyre 
itself was called " the crowning city " (Is. 23 : 8). 
We read of its " riches," of its " fairs," of its 
" merchandise," of its " mariners," of its " pilots," 
of its " caulkers," and of " its men of war " (Ezek. 
27 : 27). In all these things Tyre was greatly 
before any other city of the world. 

7. The site of ancient Tyre was an island. It 
was about a mile in length, and not much over a 
quarter of a mile in width. It was about half a 
mile from the main shore. It is not now an island, 
as an isthmus half a mile in width connects the 
northern half of the island with the main land. 
This isthmus was occasioned by a causeway con- 
structed by Alexander the Great. The causeway 
was built that the conqueror might reach the walls 
of the city. Deep sands washed up by the sea 
have changed the original work of Alexander into 
the present isthmus. The harbor of Tyre, which 
once floated the commerce of the world, is now 
filled with sands, and with the ruins of the ancient 
city. These ruins are all that remain of the once 
mighty metropolis. 

8. Tyre was " a strong city " in the time of 

3# 



30 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Joshua (Josh. 19 : 29). It was " a strong hold " 
in the time of David (2 Sam. 24: 7). The 
Bible makes particular mention of Hiram, King 
of Tyre. He was a contemporary of Solomon, 
King of Israel. At one time very friendly rela- 
tions existed between the two kings. Hiram sup- 
plied Solomon with cedar-wood, precious metals, 
and workmen for the building of the great temple 
of Jerusalem, and also furnished him with navies 
for the navigation to Ophir. In return Solomon 
gave Hiram corn and oil, and several towns in the 
northern part of his kingdom, near Tyre (1 Kings 
9:10-14; 10:22). 

9. Tyre is renowned in the history of war for 
the perseverance with which it resisted its invaders. 
After every other city of Phoenicia was conquered 
Tyre often proved impregnable. It withstood 
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, thirteen years. 
Of all the conquests of Alexander the Great, none 
caused him so much labor and difficulty as the con- 
quest of Tyre. The city resisted his attack for 
more than six months. He finally succeeded, after 
building the causeway, which enabled him to ap- 
proach its walls by land. This was three hundred 
and thirty-two years before Christ. At the time 
of Christ's appearance, Tyre, like Sidon, was in pos- 
session of the Romans. At this period the import- 
ance of the city had greatly diminished. It was, 
however, still the mistress of a large commerce. 
We are informed that Christ came into the coast 
of Tyre (Matt. 15 : 21). It was also visited by 
the apostle Paul (Acts 21 : 3, 7). 



THE HOLY LAND. 



31 



CHAPTER V. 

PHOENICIA, CONTINUED. 

1. The Tyrians greatly abused their prosperity. 
Opulence introduced luxury , and luxury was fol- 
lowed by corruption and wickedness. The people 
were arrogantly proud of their commercial position, 
and were exceedingly tyrannical in their exercise 
of power and influence. They oppressed their colo- 
nies, and were overbearing and exacting in their 
intercourse with the inhabitants of other cities. 
Their insolence was felt to be more oppressive than 
the dominion of avowed conquerors. Sometimes 
most of the Phoenician cities made common cause 
with the invading army for the chastisement of 
Tyre. Because of its pride and wickedness, proph- 
ets were inspired to predict that calamities should 
befall it. It was declared that " many nations 
should come up against " it, and " destroy the 
walls of Tyre, and break down her towers." The 
city was to become " like the top of a rock," and 
was to "be a place for the spreading of nets in the 
midst of the sea." It was to " become a spoil to 
the nations." It was declared of the enemies of 
Tyre that " they shall make a spoil of thy riches, 
and make a prey of thy merchandise ; and they 
shall break down thy walls, and destroy thy pleas- 
ant houses : and they shall lay thy stones, and thy 
timber, and thy dust, in the midst of the water." 
It was further predicted that Tyre should "be 
built no more " (Ezek. 26). 

2. Entering the island, or peninsula, on which 
ancient Tyre was situated, we shall have visible 



32 



THE HOLY LAND. 



proof of the exact fulfilment of these prophecies. 
We see that its walls and towers are broken down, 
and their ruins buried along the shore. The site 
of the ancient city is for the most part " the top of 
a rock." If we visit the southern part of the pe- 
ninsula, we shall find fishermen drying their nets 
on the rocks. In the few dirty hovels which make 
the modern town, we see that Tyre has never been 
built again. We behold realized the graphic pre- 
diction, " Thy riches and thy fairs, thy merchan- 
dise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy caulkers, and 
the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men 
of war that are in thee, and in all thy company, 
which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the 
midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin." These 
words, and a most graphic description of Tyre, are 
contained in the 27th chapter of Ezekiel. The 
chapter has reference to the most prosperous period 
of its history. This was about six hundred years 
before Christ. Nothing can exceed the contrast 
between the pomp, opulence, and power, of ancient 
Tyre, and the wretched appearance of the town 
now built on its site. 

3. Besides the ancient cities which have now 
been particularly noticed, there were many inhab- 
ited places in ancient Phoenicia. The whole coun- 
try, indeed, was densely populated. Could we pass 
through the territory as it appeared in Bible times, 
we should discover numerous thriving neighbor- 
hoods along the entire coast. Nearly every island 
and cove was the site of a town or city. None, 
however, came to exercise a commanding influence, 
except Sidon and Tyre. The preeminence of these 
two cities was so marked that the whole region was 
spoken of as " the coasts of Tyre and Sidon " (Matt. 
15 : 21). 



THE HOLY LAND. 



33 



4. The inhabitants of ancient Phoenicia never 
were united under one independent government of 
their own. Each city, with its immediate territory, 
had a distinct government ; and hence there were 
many independent sovereignties in Phoenicia. 
Each of the chief rulers had the title of king. 
Thus Hiram was simply king of Tyre. He was 
not rightfully king of Phoenicia. Even the cities 
which Tyre colonized had their own separate kings 
assigned them. Hence it was a literal saying that 
Tyre was a "crowning city" (Isaiah 23 : 8). On 
great emergencies the cities of Phoenicia would 
unite to resist a common enemy. On such occa- 
sions the commercial greatness of Tyre made it 
head of the confederacy. In its days of prosperity 
Tyre naturally exercised a great influence over the 
other Phoenician communities. We have already 
seen that its use of this influence was often very 
despotic. Yet the political dominion of Tyre was 
never acknowledged by the other cities. 

5. We have seen that Phoenicia was chiefly dis- 
tinguished for its commerce. It was also noted as 
a manufacturing country. Sidon is famed in his- 
tory for the invention of glass. The Tyrian dyes 
excelled those of every other city. When Solomon 
built the temple at Jerusalem he was dependent on 
the mechanical skill of the Phoenicians. Tyre 
furnished him with artisans " skilful to work in gold, 
and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in 
timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in 
crimson" (2 Chron. 2 : 14). The manufactured 
ornaments of Phoenicia were in such high repute 
that they were sought for by foreign princes. 

6. To commerce and manufactures Phoenicia 
added agriculture. The soil was on the whole very 



34 



THE HOLY LAND. 



fertile. Even in modern times, while much of the 
country is neglected, pomegranate- trees, palms, fig- 
trees, are found in abundance, and even delicate 
plants grow in the open air. Wheat, rye, barley, 
and cotton, are easily raised. There is also an 
abundance of citrons, oranges, figs, and dates. In 
Bible times the capabilities of the soil were thor- 
oughly developed by a large and industrious pop- 
ulation. Hence, among the various exports of 
Phoenician commerce were the agricultural produc- 
tions of its own soil. 

7. Notwithstanding the corruption and wicked- 
ness which doomed Tyre to the severe judgments of 
heaven, Phoenicia deserves honorable mention for 
its salutary influence on other nations. Wherever 
the power of Babylon and other great empires 
was felt, cities were destroyed, and industry and 
civilization were arrested. Phoenicia founded col- 
onies, established industry, and spread civilization. 
Phoenicia was also a beautiful country; and the 
sites of its many cities, some of them perched as 
it were on island rocks, were exceedingly pictur- 
esque. The sides of Lebanon, which bounded the 
country on the east, were covered with green trees. 
Some of the higher elevations present an exceed- 
ingly imposing appearance. Several rivers of vari- 
ous sizes, rising in the mountains, crossed the plain 
country, their sides everywhere lined with verdure. 
Nothing could exceed the varied beauty of Phoe- 
nicia, with its waters covered with shipping, its 
islands and level tract crowded with cities, and 
everywhere exhibiting a thriving vegetation. The 
green forests hemming it in on the east, and the 
many majestic peaks of Lebanon, overlooked the 
whole extent of the country. It should be added 



THE HOLY LAND. 



35 



that the greatness of Phoenicia never came into 
competition with Palestine. The relations between 
the two countries were both friendly and mutually 
advantageous, and a thriving trade kept up a con- 
stant intimacy between the separate nations. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON. 

1. Under the single name of Lebanon the Bible 
includes all the mountains on the north of Palestine. 
There are numerous allusions to Lebanon in the 
Scriptures, some of which are expressed in the 
most poetic and figurative language. In describing 
the effects of the Gospel in blessing " the wilder- 
ness and solitary place, * it is said "The glory of 
Lebanon shall be given to it" (Isaiah 35 : 1,-2). 
In view of man's wickedness, it is said, " Lebanon 
is ashamed and hewn down" (33 : 9). It was 
declared of Israel, that if it would be healed of 
its backsliding and iniquity, " he should cast forth 
his roots as Lebanon" It was added, "His 
branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as 
the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon." Again, 
in the same connection, it is added, u the scent there- 
of shall be as the wine of Lebanon " (Hosea 14 : 
5-7). The conduct of Nebuchadnezzar, in carrying 
away the treasures of the temple at Jerusalem, is 
described as that of "a great eagle with great wings 
# # # which came unto Lebanon and took the high- 
est branch of the cedar " (Ezek. 17 : 3). In setting 



36 



THE HOLY LAND. 



forth the judgment to come upon a people, it was 
declared, " The violence of Lebanon shall cover 
thee " (Habakkuk 2 : 17). It was the earnest de- 
sire of Moses, on being forbidden to enter the 
promised land, that he might see Lebanon. " I pray 
thee, let me go over and see the good land that is 
beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Leba- 
non" (Deut. 3 : 25). It would be easy to select 
a greater number of passages in which the Bible 
makes beautiful allusions to mountains of Leb- 
anon. Every student of the Bible will naturally 
desire to learn something of the general appear- 
ance and character of the elevations so often 
referred to. 

2. Lebanon signifies " white." Writers differ as 
to the reason of this name. Some say the name is 
given because the tops of the mountains are white 
with snow the greater part of the year. Others 
say that the name was suggested by the limestone 
nature of the mountains, which present everywhere 
a whitish appearance. 

3. Before attempting anything like a minute 
description of Lebanon, it will be well to form 
some conception of its general appearance. To do 
this, we may take, in imagination, a position from 
which we can have at once a view of the whole 
region of the mountains. We look first to the 
north, and perceive that Lebanon takes its rise 
very nearly in the latitude of what we have seen to 
be the northern termination of Phoenicia. It will 
be accurate enough for practical purposes to say, 
that the ancient Phoenicia and the mountains of 
Lebanon take their northern rise in the same lati- 
tude. Between this line and the latitude of Sidon 
is a distance of eighty or ninety miles. This extent 



THE HOLY LAND. 



37 



of country includes the main bulk of Lebanon. 
We observe that the mountains are very numerous, 
and that a great many very deep and narrow val- 
leys intervene between them. In some places the 
elevations have the appearance of groups. In 
other places they are linked together in the form of 
ridges. The course of the ridges is quite irregular. 
The heights of the elevations are seen to vary 
greatly. Some of the tops terminate in high peaks, 
while others have a rather level surface. We find 
that, as regards height, form, direction, and general 
appearance, the Lebanon mountains present a 
marked variety, 

4. In particular, we observe one very deep and 
wide valley running almost the whole length of 
this mountainous region. The direction of thi3 
great valley is from north-east to south-west, 
its course being thus parallel to that of the 
sea-coast. We see that the course of the valley is 
through the very centre of the mountains. The 
valley thus forms two grand divisions of Lebanon. 
One division embraces the mountains on the west 
side, and hence between the valley and the sea. 
The other division embraces the mountains on the 
east side. 

5. We have noticed that the mountainous region 
presents a marked variety of form, height, and 
direction. There is, however, a general uniformity 
in the character and course of the mountains. We 
do not hesitate to speak of them as comprising two 
general ranges, separated by a deep valley, and run- 
ning from the north-east to the south-west. If now 
we look at the map, we may notice that the moun- 
tains on the west of the valley, and next the Medi- 
terranean Sea, are called the western range. The 



38 



THE HOLY LAND. 



distinctive name given to this range is Libanus. 
We also observe that the mountains on the eastern 
side of the valley are called the eastern range. 
This range is called Anti-Libanus. The long, 
broad and deep valley separating Libanus from 
Anti-Libanus is called Coele-Syria, which means 
Hollow Syria. 

6. On reaching the latitude of Sidon there is 
an abrupt change in the appearance of the moun- 
tains, as here the two great ridges and separating 
valley suddenly terminate. South of this the course 
of the mountains is much more irregular, and they 
are scattered over a wider surface. The separate 
hills and ridges are generally much smaller, and 
the valleys are much broader. In imagination we 
may take a position where the great ridges termi- 
nate, and have a general view of the mountainous 
region stretching off to the south. 

7. First, casting a look along the country directly 
south of the great western range, or Libanus, we 
see that the whole space is filled with groups of 
hills very much lower than the great range itself. 
It seems indeed to be a sort of continuation of Li- 
banus on a much lower, and broader, and more 
irregular scale. This region of hills ends about 
fifty miles to the south. The town of Nazareth is 
situated among the last of the hills of this contin- 
uation of Libanus. Nazareth, it will be recollect- 
ed, is the place where Jesus spent most of his life. 
It is a little more than fifty miles from Sidon. 
Hereafter we shall have occasion to take a survey 
of the hill-country of Galilee. Galilee, we have 
before learned, was the name of the northern prov- 
ince of Palestine in the days of Christ. The 
numerous hills which exist in this province are the 



THE HOLY LAND. 



39 



same that we behold stretching off from the south- 
ern bluff of Libanus. 

8. Turning our eyes to follow the southern con- 
tinuation of the eastern range, or Anti-Libanus, 
we observe that its course is quite different from 
that of the western range, or Libanus. We dis- 
cover two ridges shoot out from Anti-Libanus. 
The eastern one is very much the larger, and is 
the proper continuation of Anti-Libanus itself. It 
runs in a south-west course, and completely walls 
in the view towards the east. We may trace its 
course a distance of fifty miles. The last twelve 
or thirteen miles of this course form the high 
boundary of the Sea of Galilee on the east. Here- 
after there will be occasion to describe this body 
of water — it may here be recollected that Christ 
and his apostles were frequently on this sea. Look- 
ing but a few miles from where the ridge just de- 
scribed leaves Anti-Libanus, we see a towering 
peak, greatly above the average height. Its top 
is covered with snow. Nowhere, in all the Holy 
Land, is there another equally imposing and majes- 
tic eminence. This is the famous Mount Hermon 
of Scripture. It belongs to the Lebanon moun- 
tains ; yet its very conspicuous appearance has 
secured for it a separate name. It is probably the 
highest of the mountains on the north of Palestine. 

9. We have seen that two ridges branch out of 
the southern end of Anti-Libanus, and have traced 
the general course of the further, or more eastern 
one. Directing attention to the smaller and inner 
ridge, we notice that it sweeps round to the west. 
It has somewhat the form of a sickle. It seems 
to sweep round so far as even to connect with the 
bluff of the great western or Libanus range. It 



40 THE HOLY LAND. 

thus closes the great valley of Coele-Syria on the 
south. Where it thus bounds the valley it falls 
off in height very much, being but little higher 
than the surface of the valley itself. Compared 
with the other ridges, it might even be termed low 
land. 

10. If now we take a general view of the coun- 
try south of the two great ranges of Libanus and 
Anti-Libanus, we behold what may be termed 
a basin, with mountain rims on the east and on 
the west. The eastern rim is the main ridge 
shooting out of Anti-Libanus, and coursing its way 
by the east of the Sea of Galilee. The western 
rim is the high elevation which runs from the 
southern bluff of Libanus, ending, as we have seen, 
in the latitude of Nazareth. The average width 
of this basin is about ten or twelve miles. By the 
word basin, however, we must not understand a 
uniformly depressed region. There are many small 
hills and valleys, even in this depressed region. 
The word basin simply means that the region it 
recognizes is much lower, and less uneven, than 
the territory on either side of it. Hereafter, in 
tracing the sources of the river Jordan, there will 
be occasion to learn more of this depressed region 
thus called a basin. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON, CONTINUED. 

1. We come now to take a more particular 
view of the mountainous region of which we have 



THE HOLY LAND. 



41 



taken a general view. The highest part of this 
region is near the modern city of Beirut. This 
part of the mountains is more particularly meant 
by the Lebanon of Scripture. If we take our posi- 
tion in Beirut, we have a distinct and complete 
view of Lebanon, from its base to its summit. As 
we trace this ascent, the appearance of the moun- 
tain-side gradually changes. At first we behold 
nothing but green trees, wild with beauty. Above 
these the mountain is more rugged, and exhibits 
less verdure. Looking still higher, we behold 
nothing but barrenness. Looking to the summit, 
we find it white with ice and snow. We see that 
the description given by the Arabian poet is true : 
" Lebanon bears winter on its head ; spring plays 
upon its shoulders ; autumn rests upon its bosom ; 
while summer lies sleeping at its feet." The 
height of Lebanon, in the neighborhood of Beirut, 
is said to be ten thousand feet. This estimate 
makes the top near two miles above the adjacent 
sea ! It is almost twice as high as Mount Wash- 
ington, in New Hampshire. Considering its great 
eminence, and its varied beauty and sublimity, we 
can understand the Bible when it speaks of " the 
glory of Lebanon." 

2. In this whole view of the side of Lebanon, 
we discover no sign of living beings ; nor is there 
any appearance of cultivation, or any kind of human 
labor. If, however, we commence the ascent of 
the mountain, we attain but a short elevation, 
when we are surprised to discover an opposite 
slope, or terrace, grooving itself into the heart of 
the mountain. Scattered along this slope or ter- 
race are numerous small villages, containing a 
large and industrious people, entirely hidden from 



42 



THE HOLY LAND. 



the view at the base of the mountain. We con- 
tinue our ascent, and another terrace comes in 
view, likewise densely populated ; and so one in- 
habited region rises above another, till we reach 
the highest point of cultivation. These terraces 
are in part artificial, and are covered with a highly 
productive soil, which has been washed down the 
mountain-side, every particle of which is made to 
produce. The mountaineers are said to be a brave, 
hardy, and industrious people. 

3. A two hours' journey above the line of cul- 
tivation brings us to the highest summit of Leba- 
non. Here we occupy an elevation near two miles 
above the level of the adjacent sea, and a more 
picturesque and magnificent prospect cannot well 
be imagined. Looking to the west, we behold the 
long declivity of the mountain-side, presenting the 
mingled beauty of all the seasons. From the foot 
of the plain below, the blue Mediterranean stretches 
off, far as the eye can see. Facing the south, we 
behold the whole country of Galilee, with its innu- 
merable hills. To the east of this hill-country, the 
white top of Hermon rises to the sky. The range 
of Anti-Libanus shuts out all view of the great 
Damascus plain. Looking down the eastern side 
of the mountain on which we stand, our eyes rest 
upon the long and verdant valley of Coele-Syria. 
Descending into this valley, we observe that the 
eastern side of Libanus is less fertile and has fewer 
inhabitants than the side facing the sea. 

4. The valley of Coele-Syria averages about 
eleven miles in width. It has an exceedingly rich 
soil, and vegetation is very luxuriant and sponta- 
neous. It is, indeed, the most fertile region in 
the Holy Land. It is remarkably well watered, 



THE HOLY LAND. 



43 



the river anciently called the Leontes flowing 
through its entire length, while numerous streams, 
issuing from the mountains on both sides, also 
irrigate its soil. The very high ranges of Libanus 
and Anti-Libanus completely shelter it from the 
cold winds. It hence receives the rays of almost 
a tropical sun. While the tops of the mountains 
are covered with ice and snow, the valley teems 
with a most luxuriant vegetation. The green 
valley, the rugged sides of the mountains, and the 
white snow-tops, blend in forming a most novel 
beauty. In Bible times the valley was densely 
populated. It has no particular name in the Bible, 
but is included under the general name of Aram, 
or Syria. Some distance up the valley are the 
famous ruins of Baalbec. These ruins are the 
remains of an enormous temple. There are several 
such temples in the region of Lebanon. Their 
history is not known. 

5. The great range of Anti-Libanus is generally 
somewhat lower than Libanus. Its sides are also 
less fertile. It has never had a large population. 
It exhibits fewer distinct elevations, and its course 
is less broken. In speaking of Lebanon, the Scrip- 
tures do not particularly refer to Anti-Libanus. 
The Lebanon of Scripture is more distinctively 
Libanus, or the great western range. 

6. The " cedars of Lebanon " are famous in 
Scripture ; indeed, the greater number of passages 
which speak of Lebanon allude particularly to its 
cedars. The allusion to the smell of Lebanon 
(Hosea 14 : 6) has reference to the delightful 
fragrance of the cedars. These cedars were greatly 
used for building purposes. Hiram, King of Tyre, 
furnished Solomon with cedar timber for the con- 



44 



THE HOLY LAND. 



struction of the great temple in J erusalem. " Send 
me also cedar-trees, fir-trees, and algum-trees, out 
of Lebanon" Hiram promptly answered, " And 
we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou 
shalt need ; and we will bring it to thee in floats 
by sea to Joppa, and thou shalt carry it up to 
Jerusalem " (2 Chron. 2 : 8, 16). So much of 
this timber was used on the temple, that it was 
called " the house of the forest of Lebanon " (1 
Kings 7:2). The ships of Tyre had masts of 
cedar from Lebanon (27 : 5). 

7. There are now a few groves of cedars on 
Lebanon. The principal one is about a mile in 
circumference, and contains several hundred trees. 
It is situated to the north of Beirut, near the 
highest eminence of Libanus. The cedar grows 
even amidst the snow. It was desired because of 
its great durability, and was one of the great arti- 
cles of export with ancient Tyre. The cedar-tree 
reached a great bulk ; one now existing is said to 
De thirty-six feet in circumference. It also attains 
ft very great age. Cedar-trees are much less nu- 
merous on Lebanon now than in Bible times. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

MOUNT HERMON AND SOURCES OF THE JORDAN. 

1. We have already seen that Mount Hermon 
is a peak of the eastern ridge which runs from the 
Anti-Lib anus range. It is thus properly one of 
the Lebanon mountains; yet it stands out in a 
great degree separate from the neighboring eleva- 



THE HOLY LAND. 



45 



tions e It is honored in the Bible with the dis- 
tinctive name of Hermon. It is particularly spoken 
of as the northern boundary of that country east 
of the Jordan, which the Israelites took from the 
Amorites. " And we took at that time out of the 
hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land 
that was on this (the east) side of Jordan, from 
the river of Arnon unto Mount Hermon.'' 1 It ap- 
pears that the people of Sidon and the Amorites 
had different names for Hermon. " Which Her- 
mon the Sidonians call Sirion ; and the Amorites 
call it Shenir " (Deut. 3 : 8, 9). Hermon is fre- 
quently named in the Scripture account of the 
conquests of the Israelites. The Psalmist makes a 
beautiful allusion to Hermon and Tabor, as rep- 
resenting the mountains of the Holy Land. " Tabor 
and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name " (Psalm 
89 : 12). Tabor is a beautiful mountain, about 
fifty miles south-west of Hermon. The union of 
brethren is said to be pleasant as " the dew of 
Hermon" (Psalm 133: 3). 

2. Hermon is situated about twenty-five miles 
in a direct line from Sidon, and is very nearly in 
the same latitude. It is by far the most conspicu- 
ous elevation in the Holy Land. Its appearance 
is quite symmetrical, and its top is covered with 
snow and ice the whole year. Streaks of ice course 
its sides for a considerable distance below the 
summit. The glisten of the sun's rays on the icy 
top is magical, causing the mountain to appear as 
if on fire ! Hermon is visible for more than eighty 
miles to the south, and, in a clear day, travellers 
very near the neighborhood of Jerusalem can be- 
hold its summit. It is probably the highest eleva- 
tion in the Holy Land. No traveller estimates 



46 



THE HOLY LAND. 



the height of Hermon at less than 10,000 feet, 
while some make the estimate as great as 12,000 
feet. Sometimes it is called the Mont Blanc of 
the Holy Land. The highest eminence of Lebanon, 
near Beirut, is the only one that comes near equal- 
ling Hermon. 

3. The ascent of Mount Hermon is more direct 
and easy than most mountains of equal height. 
If we stand upon its top, we have a sublime pros- 
pect of the Holy Land. On the north the view is 
cut off by the great ranges of Lebanon. Every- 
where else the view embraces a vast extent. On 
the west we behold the blue Mediterranean. We 
look directly on that part of the sea that in Bible 
times swarmed with the merchantmen and navies 
of Tyre and other Phoenician cities. In the im- 
mediate vicinity of the western base of the moun- 
tain, we have a minute and comprehensive view of 
the sources of the river Jordan. About twenty 
miles to the south-west we behold a body of water, 
where the streams meet which form the Jordan. 
It is now called Lake Huleh, but in Scripture it 
is known as " the waters of Merom " (Josh. 11 : 5). 
Ten or twelve miles further to the south are the 
high lands which prevent a distinct view of the Sea 
of Galilee. About thirty miles from the summit 
of Hermon, looking across the waters of Merom, 
is the elevated city of Safed. Many suppose this 
to be 1 ' the city set on a hill which cannot be hid." 
A general view towards the west and the south- 
west embraces the whole of the hilly region of 
ancient Galilee. Looking to the east, the immense 
Damascus plain stretches as far as the eye can 
reach. Thirty miles from the top of Hermon we 
behold the great city of Damascus itself. 



THE HOLY LAND. 



47 



4. The sight of Damascus calls up the thought 
of the great apostle Paul. It was on the road 
near Damascus that he was miraculously converted 
from an enemy to a friend and apostle of Jesus 
Christ (Acts 9 : 3-6). He first preached the Gos- 
pel in synagogues of Damascus. It was in this 
city, too, that a conspiracy was formed by the unbe- 
lieving Jews to put him to death. " Then the dis- 
ciples took him by night, and let him down by the 
wall in a basket" (Acts 9: 25). Many writers 
suppose Damascus to be the oldest city in the 
world. The country surrounding it is noted for its 
great fertility. The native people have always 
been proud of Damascus, calling it " the Paradise 
on earth." It is now the great mart of trade in the 
Eastern world, and is a great depot for innumerable 
trading caravans. It has been the scene of nume- 
rous sieges and battles. Its population is variously 
estimated from 100,000 to 150,000. 

5. In another place there will be occasion to 
describe the river Jordan. We shall see that it is 
by far the largest and most interesting river in the 
Holy Land, and shall find numerous allusions to it 
in both the Old and the New Testaments. We may 
remember here that the Jordan runs through the 
entire length of the Holy Land. Its course is 
from north to south; hence the sources of the 
J ordan are in the northern part of the country. 

6. From the top of Mount Hermon may be had 
a distinct view of the place where the Jordan takes 
its rise. The main bulk of the river properly issues 
from the southern part of Lake Huleh, which is 
called in Scripture " the waters of Merom " (Josh. 
11: 5). This lake is about twenty miles south-west 
of Hermon. It is over twenty miles south-east of 



48 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Tyre. It is about five miles long, and four wide. 
In the rainy seasons the size of the lake is doubled. 
It is a sort of reservoir to hold the waters brought 
down by the various streams from the region of 
Lebanon. Two principal streams flow into it from 
the north. Of these the western stream takes its 
rise not far from the western base of Mount Her- 
mon, and receives the waters of various smaller 
streams. It never takes the name of Jordan. The 
other and eastern -stream, though the smaller one, 
has always been called the Jordan. It receives the 
water of two smaller streams, which are therefore 
called the two sources of the Jordan. 

7. One of these sources issues from a fountain 
near Csesarea-Philippi. The fountain is about eight 
miles north of the lake, and is situated in a deep 
cavern at the foot of a mountain. The name Dan 
marks the place where the other source takes its rise. 
Dan is about four miles west of Csesarea-Philippi. 
The stream flowing from Dan also issues from a 
fountain, and is the smaller of the two sources. In 
Dan and Caesarea-Philippi, therefore, we find the 
sources of the famed river J ordan. 

8. These two places are noted in Scripture his- 
tory. Dan is spoken of as marking the northern 
limit of the promised land, and Beersheba as mark- 
ing its southern limit ; and hence " from Dan even 
to Beersheba " meant from the extreme north to 
the extreme south of the Holy Land. In very 
ancient times Dan belonged to Sidon. It was then 
called Leshem. It was afterwards conquered by a 
colony from the tribe of Dan, and the name Leshem 
was changed to that of Dan (Josh. 19: 47). 
Afterwards King J eroboam made it the chief seat 
of his idolatry, and set up a golden calf in Dan, 



THE HOLY LAND. 



49 



which " the people went to worship " (1 Kings 12 : 
28-30). Dan is about four miles south of the lat- 
itude of ancient Tyre, and about seven miles direct- 
ly north of Lake Huleh, or Merom. Josephus 
calls the stream which issues from Dan " the lesser 
Jordan." This was because it is the smaller of the 
two sources just described. Csesarea-Philippi, 
where the larger source takes its rise, is spoken of 
in the New Testament. It was here that Christ 
questioned his disciples as to what impression the 
people had of him. " And they said, Some say 
that thou art John the Baptist ; some, Elias ; and 
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets." He then 
asked whom the disciples themselves thought him 
to be. " And Simon Peter answered and said, 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God " 
(Matt. 16 : 13-16). The modern name of Caesarea- 
Philippi is Banias, which is a small village. 

9. Four or five miles south of Dan and Caesarea- 
Philippi the two sources unite and form a single 
stream. No other stream north of Lake Merom 
has ever received the name of Jordan. Between 
Lake Merom and the Sea, of Galilee is a distance 
of about eight miles. Along this distance is a 
very deep valley, through which the waters of 
Merom flow into the Sea of Galilee. It is to this 
large stream into which the lake empties that the 
name Jordan more distinctively applies. Hence, 
though but one stream north of the lake has the 
name of Jordan, all the streams which flow into it 
are really tributaries of the true Jordan. 

10. The country through which the river flows 
from Lake Merom to the Sea of Galilee is seldom 
visited by travellers. It is a wild region, and very 
difficult for travel. The average width of the 

5 



50 



THE HOLY LAND. 



river in this place is about eighty feet, and its ave- 
rage depth is believed to be about four feet. Its 
course is very rapid, and its channel is rocky and 
deep. Two miles south of Lake Merom is an 
ancient bridge, called Jacob's Bridge. It is be- 
lieved that the patriarch crossed the river in this 
place. 



CHAPTER IX. 

SEA OF GALILEE AND VICINITY. 

1. Leaving the region where the J ordan takes its 
rise, we come into the territory more distinctively 
known in the time of Christ as Galilee. This, we 
have learned, is the name of the northern province 
of Palestine. It consisted of Upper and Lower 
Galilee. Caesarea-Philippi, which has been de- 
scribed, was the principal city of Upper Galilee. 
Far more importance attached to Lower Galilee, 
which was the southern part. Here Christ lived 
till thirty years of age, and here he found his first 
apostles ; hence his disciples were called " Galile- 
ans." The Galileans had a peculiar speech, which 
was instantly distinguished from that of other parts 
of Palestine. When Peter denied having been a 
disciple of Christ, his speech betrayed him "for 
thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth there- 
to " (Mark 14 : 70). A peculiar interest attaches 
to the region where the religion of the New Tes- 
tament found its first converts. 

2. The Sea of Galilee formed the eastern border 
of the province of Galilee. Tracing the Jordan 



THE HOLY LAND. 



51 



from where it quits Lake Merom, thirteen miles to 
the south we come to the place where it empties 
into the sea. No place named in the Bible has 
more sacred associations than this sea. Of the 
localities thus far described, none are so intimately 
connected with the New Testament. Its import- 
ance to the student of the Bible would justify a 
minute description. It has several names in Scrip- 
ture. In the Old Testament it is called the Sea of 
Chinnereth (Numbers 34 : 11). In the New Tes- 
tament it is frequently called the Sea of Galilee, 
because the province of Galilee bounds it on the 
west. It is also called the Sea of Tiberias, 
because of the city of Tiberias, which is sit- 
uated near its southern shore. It is also called 
the Sea of Gennessareth — which name is supposed 
to be only an alteration of the name Chinnereth, 
found in the Old Testament. It is now most com- 
monly called Lake Tiberias. It will be conve- 
nient to speak of it generally by its familiar New 
Testament name, the Sea of Galilee. 

3. The Sea of Galilee is about twelve miles long 
from north to south, and about six miles wide. It 
is situated in a very low region, mostly surrounded 
by steep and high hills. The hills are generally 
bare and sterile, and present a gloomy appearance. 
The water is clear, deep, and excellent for drink, 
and abounds in fish. The surface of the lake or 
sea is usually smooth, but occasionally it is broken 
by sudden flaws which break over the surrounding 
hills. These sudden gusts are as suddenly followed 
by calms. The river Jordan, which enters it on the 
north, continues its course through the middle of 
the sea. It is thought by some that the water 
of the river does not mingle with that of the sea. 



52 



THE HOLY LAND. 



4. The western shore of this sea is twenty-two 
miles from the Mediterranean. Its northern shore 
is about forty miles from Sidon, and about thirty- 
five miles from Mount Hermon. Its southern shore 
is full sixty miles from Jerusalem. 

5. But little is said of this body of water in 
the Old Testament. In the Gospels, however, 
very frequent reference is made to it. It was 
with Christ a favorite place of resort. When per- 
secuted in other places, he usually found quiet and 
protection by the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum, a 
city on its north-west shore, was often his home 
(Matt. 4 : 13). He seemed to take especial de- 
light in wandering by its shores, and in sailing 
upon its waters. His first disciples were fishermen 
on the Sea of Galilee. " And J esus, walking by the 
Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called 
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into 
the sea : for they were fishers. And he saith unto 
them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of 
men" (Matt. 4: 18 — 20). He occasioned much 
marvel among his followers, by stilling the waves 
of this sea. Many of the most interesting passages 
of the Gospels are those which speak of Christ's 
labors by the Sea of Galilee and on its surface. 
Very great success attended his preaching in this 
region. 

6. In the days of Christ the whole country 
round the Sea of Galilee had a great population. 
Its shores were lined with cities and villages. The 
adjoining territory was fertile and industriously 
cultivated. The sea was covered with the vessels 
of fishermen. It is estimated that twelve hundred 
fishermen, with near two hundred and fifty boats, 
found constant employment on its surface, Be- 



THE HOLY LAND. 



53 



sides, boats were continually passing between the 
various places along its shores. The whole scene 
was one of life and activity, the very sea being the 
abode of human beings. The place will ever be 
remembered as the scene where Christ commenced 
his ministry. 

7. Nothing can exceed the contrast between the 
Sea of Galilee as it appears now, and as it appeared 
in the days of Christ. The whole region is now a 
scene of wildness and desolation. Not a single 
boat is seen sailing on its bosom. Its shores 
are lined only with ruins. No crowded population 
surrounds its borders, nor are there many signs of 
industry. A few scattered fishermen may be seen 
along its shores, but all else is deserted and soli- 
tary. It is difficult to realize that great multi- 
tudes here listened to the preaching of Christ 
eighteen centuries ago. It seems marvellous that 
the greatest, most powerful, and best religion ever 
known to the world, should have found its first 
converts in this now desolate region ! 



CHAPTER X. 

SEA OF GALILEE AND VICINITY, CONTINUED. 

1. We have already referred to Capernaum as 
a city where Jesus dwelt. Its exact site cannot 
now be determined, though there is but little doubt 
that it was somewhere on the north-western coast 
of the sea. About five miles from where the J or- 
dan enters the sea are some ruins, which are 
thought to be the remains of ancient Capernaum. 



54 



THE HOLY LAND. 



The city is often named in the G-ospels. It was the 
scene of many of Christ's miracles, and of his 
labors to convert the people to his cause. They 
continued, however, unbelieving and impenitent. 
For this reason, Christ upbraided them, and pre- 
dicted the utter ruin of their city. " And thou, 
Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt 
be brought down to hell " (Matt. 11 : 23). The 
simple meaning of this prediction was, that its 
worldliness and unbelief would result in the loss 
of its worldly greatness and prosperity. The fact 
that the exact site of Capernaum cannot now be 
determined, shows that the prediction has been 
completely fulfilled. 

2. Near Capernaum were the cities of Chorazin 
and Bethsaida, where Christ also wrought miracles 
and taught the people. Here, too, the people re- 
sisted the proofs of his mission, and continued im- 
penitent. Hence Chorazin and Bethsaida were 
threatened with punishment. " Woe unto thee, 
Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Bethsaida ! for if the 
mighty works which were done in you had been 
done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented 
long ago in sackcloth and ashes " (Matt. 11 : 21). 
Tyre and Sidon were noted for their extreme 
worldliness and wickedness. To say that the mighty 
works which had failed to induce repentance in 
Chorazin and Bethsaida would have been success- 
ful in Tyre and Sidon, was to put the charge of 
wickedness in very strong terms. These predic- 
tions of woe have been fulfilled to the letter. Cho- 
razin and Bethsaida have been so utterly destroyed, 
that their very names have gone out of use. Even 
their precise locations are not known, though there 
can be no doubt they were near Capernaum, on 



THE HOLY LAND. 55 

the west coast of the Sea of Galilee. The disci- 
ples Andrew, Peter, and Philip, came from Beth- 
saida (John 1 : 44). 

3. Following the western shore five miles south 
of the site of ancient Capernaum, we come to the 
city of Tiberias, special mention of which is made 
in the New Testament (John 6: 21). It was one 
of the most important cities in Galilee, being one 
of the capitals of that province. Its chief business 
was that of fishing on the adjoining sea. As we 
have seen, it gave its name to the sea. Most of 
the ancient city is now in ruins. The view from 
Tiberias of the Sea of Galilee and its surrounding 
hills is quite picturesque. 

4. Between Capernaum and Tiberias is a town 
now called Mejel, doubtless the site of the New 
Testament Magdala. It is noted as having been 
the home of Mary Magdalene. About six miles 
south-east of the sea is the ancient Gadara, which 
was in "the country of the Gergesenes," or Gada- 
renes. When Jesus sailed from Capernaum to 
this country, he was said to have " come to the 
other side " of the sea. It was in Gadara that he 
cured the maniac of evil spirits, and caused them 
to enter the swine. " And, behold, the whole herd 
of swine ran violently down a steep place into the 
sea, and perished in the waters.'' The report of 
this miracle caused much excitement among the 
people. " And behold the whole city came out to 
meet Jesus ; and when they saw him, they besought 
him that he would depart out of their coasts " 

"(Matt; 8: 28—34). The hill on which the city 
stood was full of caverns, which were used for 
tombs. It was among these caverns or tombs that 
the insane man wandered. The place commands a 



56 



THE HOLY LAND. 



fine view of the sea. Being on " the other side " 
of the sea, it was not properly included in the 
limits of Galilee. 

5. The preaching of Christ is said to have se- 
cured him many followers from Decapolis (Matt. 
4 : 25). Decapolis denoted a certain ten cities, 
with their adjacent villages, which were mostly 
scattered over the territory on the east side of the 
Sea of Galilee. Gadara, where Christ caused the 
evil spirits to enter the swine, was one of these 
cities. Decapolis was not regarded as a part of 
Palestine, and the people were looked upon as 
foreigners by those living on the west side of the 
sea. While sojourning in the vicinity of the Sea 
of Galilee, Christ occasionally entered some of the 
cities of Decapolis (Mark 7 : 31). It is probable 
that, in times of persecution, he found quiet and 
protection under the mild government of Philip 
the Tetrarch, who ruled Decapolis. 

6. The Sermon on the Mount was preached near 
the Sea of Galilee, but on what exact spot cannot 
be determined. It is believed to have been upon 
a hill not far from Capernaum. There is a hill 
near the site of this ancient city, called the Mount 
of Beatitudes. It is so called because of the bless- 
ings pronounced in the Sermon on the Mount. 
This sermon was spoken after great multitudes 
from all parts of the country began to gather round 
Jesus. The place from which it was spoken was 
simply called a mountain. " And seeing the mul- 
titudes, he went up into a mountain " (Matt. 5:1). 
The Sermon on the Mount is contained in the fifth, 
sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew. Chris- 
tians, who visit the so-called Mount of Beatitudes, 
usually read from it these chapters. The supposi- 



THE HOLY LAND. 



57 



tion that they are reading the sermon on the very 
spot from which Christ preached it to the multi- 
tudes, produces in their minds impressions which 
can never be effaced. With the exception of Jeru- 
salem, no place in the Holy Land has more hal- 
lowed associations than the vicinity of the Sea of 
Galilee. 



CHAPTER XL 

NAZARETH AND NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES. 

1. Leaving the Sea of Galilee at the point of 
Tiberias, a journey of twelve miles brings the 
traveller to Nazareth. This place will ever be 
remembered as the home of J esus during the first 
thirty years of his life. The road leading from 
Tiberias to Nazareth is quite irregular, winding 
through many valleys formed by the low hills 
which here terminate the Lebanon mountains on 
the south. The general course of the road is from 
north-east to south-west. Those who travel this 
route cannot forget that Jesus often journeyed 
along the same region, and that the very objects 
which arrest their attention must have been fre- 
quently noticed by him. 

2. Coming in sight of Nazareth, we behold a 
town situated on the western side of a valley. 
This valley is about a mile long, and very narrow, 
surrounded on all sides by abrupt hills. A very 
steep ridge of hills bounds it on the west. The 
town is situated at the foot of this ridge, which 
completely encircles it on the western side. Di- 



58 



THE HOLY LAND. 



rectly opposite Nazareth, the valley is not more 
than a hundred and fifty yards wide. 

3. Nazareth is nowhere named in the Old 
Testament. It derives all its importance from 
having been the home of Jesus. At the present 
day it contains about three thousand inhabitants. 
The houses are mostly two stories high, and are 
built of stone, having flat tops. Numerous monks 
reside in Nazareth, who make it a business to 
point out to travellers localities associated with 
some event in the life of J esus ; but their statements 
are utterly unworthy of belief. All that can now 
be known is, that for thirty years Jesus lived in 
the place. He doubtless frequently wandered 
over the numerous hills and among the valleys in 
the neighborhood. All the natural objects which 
now arrest attention must have been almost daily 
witnessed by him in his youthful years. 

4. The blending of hill and valley makes the 
view exceedingly picturesque. The soil in the 
valley is excellent, and nowhere in all Palestine 
does corn grow more thrivingly. The valley also 
forms the great thoroughfare of travel; and in jour- 
neying from one end of Palestine to the other, 
most travellers pass by the town of Nazareth. 

5. In the days of Christ, Nazareth had a bad 
name, and was looked upon by the Jews as a low 
and vile city. This circumstance occasioned no 
little prejudice against Jesus. The people were 
slow to believe that a prophet could come from 
such a place. Even Nathaniel felt this prejudice, 
when told by Philip that they had found in Jesus 
of Nazareth him of whom Moses and the prophets 
wrote. " And Nathaniel said unto him, Can any 
good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1 : 46). 



THE HOLY LAND. 



59 



6. It had always been the custom of Jesus to 
meet with his townsmen in the synagogues of Naz- 
areth (Luke 4 : 16). His first preaching in the 
synagogue gave them much satisfaction (verse 22) ; 
but when he made a special application of his 
preaching to them, " they were filled with wrath " 
(verse 28). They even undertook to kill him by 
throwing him from a precipice not far from the 
city. u And (they) rose up and thrust him out of 
the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill 
whereon their city was built, that they might cast 
him down headlong " (verse 29). He, however, 
escaped, and " came down to Capernaum " (verse 
31). After this event, he made his home chiefly 
in the latter city, by the Sea of Galilee. 

7. It was in anticipation of this treatment at 
the hands of the Nazarenes that he declared, " No 
prophet is accepted in his own country " (verse 24). 
There is a precipice, or " brow of the hill," near 
the south-western part of the city, about fifty feet 
high, which is believed to be the place where the 
Nazarenes led Jesus to " cast him down headlong." 
Without any good reason, the monks connect the 
scene with a mountain two miles from Nazareth, 
on the other side of the valley, which, for this rea- 
son, is called the Mount of Precipitation. None 
but the most credulous place any confidence in this 
story of the monks. 

8. The town of Nazareth is situated on an ele- 
vated region, and even the valley is considerably 
higher than the average level of the country. 
Hence the view from the hill overhanging the city 
is very extensive, and takes in many localities 
associated with Scripture scenes. Standing thereon, 
and facing the south, we behold an extensive plain, 



60 



THE HOLY LAND. 



famous in Scripture as the plain of Jezreel, now 
usually called the plain of Esdraelon. To the left 
we behold in the distance the top of Mount Gilboa ; 
and nearer, in the same direction, we see a part 
of Little Hermon. Looking to the east, across 
the low hills which enclose the valley of Nazareth 
in that direction, we have a view of the top of 
Mount Tabor. We also have a view of innumera- 
ble hills in the region beyond the Sea of Galilee. 
Turning to the west, we behold a long ridge, term- 
inating in a promontory in the Mediterranean. 
This is Mount Carmel. The blue expanse of the 
Mediterranean also spreads before us. Indeed, 
nearly the whole region of Galilee is visible from 
the hill of Nazareth. 

9. Seven or eight miles directly north of Naz- 
areth is the site of " Cana of Galilee," where 
Christ turned the water into wine. This was his 
first miracle (John 2: 11), and was wrought on 
occasion of a marriage (verse 1). Jesus after- 
wards visited Cana, when, at the solicitation of a 
nobleman from Capernaum, he restored his sick 
son to health. This was his second miracle, the 
consequence of which was that the nobleman 
" and his whole house " believed in Christ (John 
4: 53, 54). 

10. About eighteen miles north-west of Naz- 
areth is Ptolemais, which is referred to by this 
name in the New Testament. It is situated on 
the Mediterranean coast, about thirty miles south 
of Tyre. Paul tarried here on his journey from 
Tyre to Csesarea, where he found Christian breth- 
ren. It is a very ancient city, and is called Accho 
in the Old Testament (Judges 1 : 31). Its modern 
name is Acre. It commands a fine bay, called 



THE HOLY LAND. 



61 



the Bay of Acre, and has a good harbor. It has 
been the theatre of many bloody battles. It was 
here that Napoleon suffered one of his most disas- 
trous defeats. 

11. About five miles south-east of Nazareth is 
the village of Endor. This place is memorable as 
the abode of the sorceress whom Saul consulted 
on the eve of battle (1 Sam. 28 : 7). The place 
is not mentioned in the New Testament. A mile 
or two to the south-west of Endor is the site of 
the city of Nain, where Jesus restored to life the 
widow's son. The account of this miracle is very 
affecting (Luke 7 : 11, 14). It was a deed of 
compassion towards the dependent widow, while it 
served the especial purpose of directing the atten- 
tion of the people towards the new teacher. The 
city has now degenerated into a small village, and 
is beautifully situated on the plain of Jezreel. 
Both Endor and Nain are located in that part of 
the plain which separates Mount Tabor from Little 
Hermon. 

12. Continuing a south-east course, fifteen miles 
from Nazareth, and ten from Nain, bring us to the 
site of the ancient Bethshan. It was on the walls 
of Bethshan that the Philistines fastened the body 
of Saul, whom they had slain in the battle of Gil- 
boa (1 Sam. 31 : 10). It is several times named 
in connection with this event. Numerous ruins 
now scattered over its site show that it was a 
large city. It must have been about three miles 
in circumference, and was situated on the plain of 
Jezreel, about three miles to the west of the Jordan. 
Some authors regard it as one of the cities of De- 
capolis. If so, it was the only one of these cities 
west of the Jordan. It is mentioned frequently in 

6 



62 



THE HOLY LAND. 



history under the name of Scythopolis. Its mod- 
ern name is Beisan, and it is now a small and in- 
significant village. 



CHAPTER XII. 

MOUNTS TABOR, LITTLE HERMON, GILBOA. 

1. Mount Tabor is one of the most beautiful 
mountains in the Holy Land. It is about five 
miles nearly east of Nazareth, and, as we have 
seen, its top is visible from the high lands of this 
city. It is about ten miles south-west of Tiberias, 
and it is eight miles west of the Jordan. Mount 
Tabor stands isolated from all other mountains, 
rising majestically out of the great plain of Esdra- 
elon. This plain surrounds it on all sides, thus 
making it appear much higher than it would seem 
if it were connected with other elevations. For 
this reason its height has been greatly over-esti- 
mated. Some travellers have set it down as three 
thousand feet high, but Dr. Robinson proved that 
it could not be more than one thousand feet high. 

2. An hour's ride takes the traveller to the top 
of Tabor, which is easily accessible from all sides. 
It is everywhere covered with grass and shubbery, 
and its sides are ornamented with groves of oak. 
Its whole surface would admit of easy cultivation. 
There are ruins on its top, which is probably the 
site of a fortified city existing in very ancient 
times. 

3. The view from the top of Tabor embraces 
many localities named in Scripture. Eighteen 



THE HOLY LAND. 



63 



miles to the north we have a distinct view of the 
elevated city of Safed, which we have elsewhere 
learned is supposed to have furnished the compari- 
son of " the city set upon a hill, which cannot be 
hid." About eight miles in the same direction 
may be seen an elevation, now called Hattin, which 
is regarded by some as the Mount of Beatitudes, 
from which Christ uttered the Sermon on the Mount. 
There is no good reason, however, for this supposi- 
tion. In the north-east may be had a slight glimpse 
of the Sea of Galilee. Towards the east and south- 
east is seen the valley through which runs the river 
Jordan. Across this valley the mountains of Ba- 
shan and Grilead are conspicuous. The mountains 
of Gilboa and Little Hermon cut off the view to 
the south. On the west the whole plain of Esdra- 
elon stretches off to the Mediterranean. The Car- 
mel range, walling in the plain on the south-west, is 
distinctly visible. Towards the north-west the hills 
of Nazareth interrupt the prospect. Looking to 
the south, the sites of Endor and Nain are almost 
at the mountain's feet. 

4. Tabor is nowhere named in the New Testa- 
ment. It is frequently named in the Old Testa- 
ment, where it is particularly associated with the 
account of the destruction of Sisera and his host. 
The people of Israel had been for years sorely 
oppressed by J abin, a Canaanitish king. At the 
call of the prophetess Deborah, Barak raised a 
small army for the deliverance of the people from 
King Jabin. Sisera was the general sent by Jabin 
to resist Barak and Deborah. He came with much 
the largest army, having " even nine hundred 
chariots of iron." Barak encamped on Mount Ta- 
bor, and a great battle was fought at its base. The 



64 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Israelites under Barak were completely victorious, 
Sisera and his host being destroyed. The people 
of Israel were thus delivered from bondage to a 
foreign king. The account of this great battle is 
given in the fourth chapter of Judges. Tabor is 
thus forever associated with a great event in the 
history of Israel. 

5. Five miles south-west of Tabor is the highest 
part of Little Hermon. This is the name of a 
mountainous ridge intervening between Tabor and 
Gilboa. Its length is six or seven miles, and its 
course is from north-west to south-east. Its greatest 
elevation is near its north-western termination, where 
its height is about the same as that of Tabor. This 
termination is six miles south-east of Nazareth. 
The village of Nain is situated at its northern 
base. Little Hermon must not be confounded with 
the much greater Mount Hermon in the north. It 
is a barren, shapeless mass, and has no historical 
interest. It is nowhere spoken of as Hermon in 
the Scriptures. 

6. Still further to the south we find Mount Gil- 
boa. Its north-western base is about ten miles from 
Nazareth, and is nearly as far from Tabor. It is 
five miles from Little Hermon, from which it is 
separated by the valley of J ezreel. Mount Gilboa 
forms a range towards the south-east. It is famous 
in Scripture history as the scene of Saul's defeat by 
the Philistines. " The men of Israel (Saul's army) 
fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain 
in Mount Gilboa," Three sons of Saul, Jonathan, 
Abinadab, Melchishua, were slain in the battle. 
Saul himself was sorely wounded by the archers of 
the Philistines. Filled with despair, he fell upon 
his own sword and died. His body was taken by 



THE HOLY LAND. 



65 



the Philistines and fastened upon the walls of Beth- 
shan. The account of Saul's defeat and death is 
given in the thirty-first chapter of 1 Samuel. A 
most affecting lamentation, in the most beautiful 
language, was uttered by David over the death of 
Saul and his sons. " Ye mountains of Gilboa, let 
there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, 
nor fields of offerings ; for there the shield of the 
mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as 
though he had not been anointed with oil." The 
whole lamentation may be found in the last part of 
the first chapter of 2 Samuel. Scythopolis was the 
subsequent name of Beth-shan, where the body of 
Saul was fastened against the wall. Its site is in 
the valley north-east of Gilboa. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

MOUNT CARMEL AND THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON. 

1. Leaving the vicinity of Tabor and Gilboa, 
and crossing the great plain of Esdraelon towards 
the west, we come to Mount Carmel. This moun- 
tain is a promontory, and is the termination of a 
mountainous ridge running from south-east to north- 
west. This ridge is the south-western boundary of 
the plain of Esdraelon. The promontory juts out 
a considerable distance into the Mediterranean, and 
on the water side is very steep and rugged. Seen 
from the water, its bold appearance makes it seem 
much higher than it really is. It is probably 
about a thousand feet high, the same as Mount Tabor. 
6* 



THE HOLY LAND. 



2. Ascending to the top of Carmel, we find the 
most luxuriant and beautiful mountain in Palestine. 
It is actually fragrant with flowers, and is covered 
with a luxuriant grass. Its sides are adorned with 
green trees. There is not a sterile place on its 
whole surface. Numberless streams issue from its 
sides. Its soil admits of easy and successful tillage. 
The word Carmel means vineyard, and the appear- 
ance of the mountain fully justifies the name. The 
fruitfulness of Carmel is the occasion of poetic 
allusions. The effect of the Gospel is represented 
by saying that " to the desert shall be given the 
excellency of Carmel " (Isaiah 35 : 2). The de- 
stroying effects of divine judgments are expressed 
by saying that " the top of Carmel shall wither " 
(Amos 1 : 2). The same effects are also described 
by saying that " Bashan and Carmel shall shake off 
their fruits " (Isaiah 33 : 9). 

3. The view from the top of Carmel is very 
extensive. Facing the west, the blue surface of 
the Mediterranean stretches from under our feet, 
far as the eye can reach. Facing the north, the 
promontory is seen to form the southern shore of 
the Bay of Acre, across which bay the port of 
Acre is visible, as a speck in the distance. Look- 
ing to the north-east and east, the whole country 
of Galilee spreads before us as a map. First of 
all is the great plain of Esdraelon. Across this we 
behold the high lands of Nazareth, and the moun- 
tains of Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa. Look- 
ing entirely across the region of Galilee, the Leb- 
anon mountains rest against the sky, and the white 
top of Mount Hermon is clearly visible. If we 
look to the south-east, the hills of Samaria meet 
our view. Looking to the south, the plain of 



THE HOLY LAND. 



67 



Sharon is seen to intervene between the mountains 
and the sea. Twenty miles in the same direction, 
the eye rests on Caesarea, where Paul made Felix 
tremble (Acts 24 : 25). 

4. Mount Carmel contains numerous caves ; it 
has been estimated that there are more than a 
thousand. Most of them are very small and crook- 
ed, and are natural places of concealment. This 
circumstance explains a passage of Scripture which 
speaks of those who attempt to escape divine just- 
ice. " Though they hide themselves in the top of 
Carmel, I will search and take them thence " 
(Amos 9:3). In Bible times prophets and other 
religious persons often resorted to these caves. 
Among these were Elijah and Elisha. 

5. Mount Carmel is intimately associated in 
Scripture with two memorable events in the history 
of Elijah ; both of which events were designed to 
cure Ahab, the King of Israel, of idolatry. Ahab 
had forsaken the worship of Jehovah, for that of 
the Phoenician god Baal. A time of severe drought 
followed. Elijah demonstrated the folly of wor- 
shipping Baal, by showing that the priests could 
get no answer to their prayers offered him. He 
then demonstrated the wisdom of worshipping Je- 
hovah, by letting it appear that his prayer to 
Jehovah would be instantly answered. The con- 
sequence was that the people seized the priests of 
Baal, and Elijah destroyed them. Immediately 
after this, Elijah went to the top of Carmel and 
prayed for rain, and in due time " there was a 
great rain." A full account of those doings of the 
prophets will be found in the eighteenth chapter 
of 1 Kings. There are numerous other references 
to Mount Carmel in the Old Testament. 



68 



THE HOLY LAND. 



6. Oarmel is the only great promontory of Pal- 
estine. It is thirty miles south of Tyre, and 
twenty-eight miles directly west of the Sea of Gali- 
lee. It is the same distance north-west of Gilboa, 
and twenty miles north of west from Nazareth. 

7. In describing the hills and villages of Lower 
Galilee, the great plain of Esdraelon has been 
mentioned. In closing the description of Galilee, 
some account must be given of this plain. The 
main part of the plain of Esdraelon is in the form 
of a triangle. Its northern side is bounded in 
part by the hills of Nazareth, and may be consid- 
ered as running directly east from the Bay of Acre. 
This side is thirteen or fourteen miles long. The 
eastern side is bounded by the three hills of Tabor, 
Little Hermon, and Gilboa. The direction of this 
side is nearly north and south, and is eighteen 
miles long. The south-western side is bounded by 
the mountainous range which makes out of Carmel, 
and is full twenty miles long. Besides this tri- 
angular portion of Esdraelon, the valleys which 
intervene between Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gil- 
boa, are considered as belonging to it. These 
valleys are called the eastern arms of Esdraelon. 
They connect the main bulk of the plain with the 
valley of the Jordan. The plain of Esdraelon 
may be considered as the whole level surface be- 
tween the Bay of Acre and the Jordan, with three 
mountains on its eastern side. 

8. It is only the western part of Esdraelon that 
can strictly be called a plain. As we approach 
the vicinity of the mountains on the east, the sur- 
face becomes undulating. It is also slightly 
broken by small ridges shooting out from these 
mountains. The whole surface can be called a 



THE HOLY LAND. 



69 



plain only as contrasted with the mountainous re- 
gion all around it, 

9. The triangular or western part of the plain 
gradually slopes towards the west, and hence its 
waters run towards the Mediterranean. These 
waters combine and form the river Kishon, called 
in Scripture the " ancient river, the river Kishon " 
(Judges 5 : 21). It takes its rise near Mount 
Tabor, and flows directly across the plain to the 
Carmel range, then follows the foot of this range 
and empties into the Mediterranean. It is only 
in the rainy seasons that it carries any water from 
the vicinity of Tabor. The dry season leaves 
nothing of it except its channel. 

10. It was by the river Kishon that Jabin's 
general Sisera encamped with his army, on occa- 
sion of his battle with Barak and Deborah. We 
are informed that Barak drove Sisera's army into 
the Kishon. " The river Kishon swept them away, 
that ancient river, the river Kishon " (Judges 5 : 
21). This shows that the battle must have been 
fought during the wet season, as at any other time 
there would not have been water enough in the 
river to have swept away an army. 

11. Fifteen miles south-west from Tabor is the 
site of the ancient Megiddo. It is situated on the 
plain, by the base of the Carmel range, and is 
sixteen or seventeen miles south-east of the prom- 
ontory. Megiddo is a famous place in Scripture. 
It was a very ancient city. It was rebuilt by 
Solomon (1 Kings 9 : 15). Ahaziah, King of 
Judah, died in Megiddo, from a wound inflicted 
by Jehu (2 Kings 9 : 27). The good King Josiah 
received a mortal wound here, in a battle with 
Necho, King of Egypt (2 Kings 23 : 29, 30). The 



70 THE HOLY LAND. 

waters of the Kishon near the place are called 
"the waters of Megiddo" (Judges 5: 19). The 
present name is Lejjun. 

12. Six miles south-east of Megiddo is the site 
of the ancient Taanach, a Canaanitish city. It is 
several times named in Scripture in connection 
with Megiddo. It is particularly named in the 
triumphal song of Deborah. It was here that the 
Kings of Canaan fought against Barak (Judges 
5: 19). 

13. The three arms of Esdraelon, which sep- 
arate the mountain on its eastern side, for the most 
part slope towards the east. Hence, while the 
waters of the triangular part of the plain flow 
towards the Mediterranean, the waters in these 
arms, or valleys, flow towards the Jordan. The 
name of Jezreel is sometimes given to the whole 
plain of Esdraelon ; but it more properly signifies 
the south-eastern arm of the plain which makes 
the valley between Little Hermon and Gilboa. 
This valley is about three miles wide, and is much 
deeper than any other portion of the great plain. 
Jezreel was also the name of a city situated in 
this valley, near the base of Gilboa. The city is 
often named in the Scripture account of Ahab, the 
King of Israel, and his wicked wife, Jezebel. Ahab 
had a palace in Jezreel. It was here that Jehu 
executed vengeance on the whole family of that 
idolatrous king (2 Kings 9 : 14—37 ; 10 : 1—11). 
The modern name of the place is Zerin. 

14. The plain of Esdraelon has been the theatre 
of numerous wars, and almost every nation has 
fought battles on its surface. It was the scene of 
many of the most desperate battles recorded in the 
Old Testament. It is the strong-hold of the whole 



THE HOLY LAND. 



71 



country, and hence every invader has first aimed 
to secure the plain of Esdraelon. Even Napoleon 
gained one of his victories on this plain, near 
Mount Hermon. 

15. There are but few villages on the plain of 
Esdraelon, though there are many near the moun- 
tains on its sides. The soil of the plain is naturally 
very fertile. It is, however, now suffered to re- 
main in a waste condition. There are but few 
localities more frequently referred to in Scripture, 
or more worthy a description, than the plain of 
Esdraelon. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

SAMAEIA, MOUNT GERIZIM, JACOB'S WELL. 

1. The name Samaria was applied both to the 
province and its principal city. The city was 
sixteen miles from the Mediterranean, and thirty 
north of Jerusalem. It was situated on a beauti- 
ful hill, called the hill of Samaria. This hill is in 
the centre of a round valley, four miles wide, and 
surrounded by high mountains. The city on the 
hill has thus a very picturesque situation. The 
whole valley was covered with luxuriant vegeta- 
tion. The hill itself is now cultivated clear to its 
top, and the sides of the mountains enclosing the 
valley are exceedingly fertile. They present nu- 
merous fields and trees, and are lined with villages. 
Every traveller speaks of the verdure and beauty 
of the city and hill of Samaria, and also of the 
oountry surrounding it. 



72 



THE HOLY LAND. 



2. The city of Samaria has an unusually inter- 
esting Scripture history. It was built by Omri, 
King of Israel, nine hundred and twenty-five years 
before Christ. He bought the hill of Shemer, and 
named the city after him, Samaria. "And he 
(Omri) bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two 
talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called 
the name of the city which he built, after the name 
of Shemer, Samaria " (1 Kings 16 : 24). It was 
chosen as the capital of the kingdom of Israel, 
which kingdom at this time included the Ten 
Tribes which had revolted from the kingdom of 
Judah. It thus became a sort of rival to Jeru- 
salem, which still remained the capital of the king- 
dom of Judah, now embracing the Two Tribes, or 
those of Judah and Benjamin. 

3. Samaria continued the capital of the kingdom 
of Israel two hundred years. During this period, 
it was noted as a seat of idolatry. King Ahab, 
the son of Omri, built a temple in Samaria to 
Baal. "And he (Ahab) reared up an altar for 
Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in 
Samaria " (1 Kings 16 : 32). The prophets 
Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Micah, denounced Sa- 
maria because of its idolatries. 

4. At the end of the two hundred years named, 
the Ten Tribes of Israel were carried captive into 
Babylon by Shalmaneser, King of Assyria. This 
was in 720 before Christ. Hoshea was at the 
time King of Israel (2 Kings 17: 5, 6). After 
this, Samaria was for a period occupied by foreign- 
ers. Afterwards, it came once more into the pos- 
session of the J ews. It was a fortified city in the 
days of the apostles. It was here that Philip 
preached the Gospel. Great success attended his 



THE HOLY LAND. 



73 



preaching. " Then Philip went down to the city 
of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And 
the people with one accord gave heed unto those 
things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the 
miracles which he did " (Acts 8 : 5, 6). 

5. The Old Testament makes frequent mention 
of Samaria. In some cases it is uncertain whether 
the city or the province is meant. There are now 
but few, if any, remains of the ancient city. There 
is a church here, to the memory of John the Bap- 
tist. Tradition connects his death with Samaria, 
though there is probably no truth in the tradition. 
The modern name of Samaria is Sebaste. 

6. Five miles south-east of Samaria, we come 
to several localities of great importance. These 
are the city of Nabulus, the two mountains of 
Gerizim and Ebal, the valley between them, and 
Jacob's well. These places are more or less con- 
nected in the Bible, and may therefore be de- 
scribed together. 

7. Nabulus is the modern name of the Shechem 
of the Old Testament. In the New Testament it 
is once called Sychar (John 4:5). It is situated 
in the valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount 
Ebal, and is one of the most ancient places spoken 
of in Scripture. The locality was called Sichem 
as early as the time of Abraham. " And Abram 
passed through the land unto the place of Sichem 99 
(Gen. 12: 6). It is mentioned as a "city" in 
the time of Jacob (Gen. 33 : 18). It is now, un- 
der the name of Nabulus, one of the most thrifty 
cities in Palestine, Its population is about eight 
thousand. 

8. Mount Gerizim is on the south side of She- 
chem, and is a rocky and barren hill. On the 

7 



74 



THE HOLY LANE. 



western side there are a few olive-trees and some 
shrubbery. Its sides are rather steep. It is 
about eight hundred feet high, and its top com- 
mands a good view of the rich surrounding country. 
Way to the north-east the white top of Mount 
Hermon is visible. 

9. On the north side of Shechem is Mount Ebal, 
the shape of which is somewhat similar to that of 
Gerizim. It is, if anything, more rugged and 
sterile, and is of the same height. There are many 
excavations, or sepulchres, on its southern side. 

10. When the twelve tribes of Israel first en- 
tered the Holy Land, they built an altar on Mount 
Ebal/ On the stones of this altar was written " a 
copy of the Law of Moses " (Joshua 8 : 32). This 
law was then to be read in the hearing of all the 
people of Israel. Six of the tribes were placed on 
Mount Ebal, to respond " Amen " to the curses of 
the law. The other six tribes were placed on 
Mount G-erizim, to respond " Amen " to the bless- 
ings of the law (Deut. 27 : Joshua 8 : 30—35). 
A more impressive ceremony cannot well be imag- 
ined. In consequence of this ceremony, Ebal was 
called the Mount of Curses, and Gerizim the Mount 
of Blessings. This custom has led many travellers 
to speak of Gerizim as fruitful, and of Ebal as 
barren, though there is in fact but little difference 
between the two in this respect. 

11. The valley between Mount Gerizim and 
Ebal is very narrow, and just to the east of She- 
chem it is not more than five hundred yards wide. 
It was in this narrow part of the valley that 
Jacob bought of Hamor " a parcel of a field." He 
is said to have paid for it " a hundred pieces of 
money." It was here that he " spread his tent " 



THE HOLY LAND. 



75 



on his return to Canaan from Padan-aram (Gen. 
33: 18). "The bones of Joseph," Jacob's son, 
were buried in this field. There is a white build- 
ing here now, called Joseph's tomb. The field 
became " the inheritance of the children of Joseph " 
(Joshua 24: 32). The Scriptures make other 
allusions to " the parcel of ground purchased by 
Jacob " (John 4 : 5). 

12. Near the north-eastern base of Mount Ge- 
rizim is the famed Jacob's well. All the tradi- 
tions agree that this is the identical well where 
Jacob drank, " and his children and his cattle " 
(John 4: 12). The patriarchs were in the prac- 
tice of digging wells wherever they sojourned. 
The one called "Jacob's well" doubtless had some 
connection with " the parcel of ground " where his 
flocks were pastured. Now, as in the days of 
Christ, " the well is deep " (John 4 : 12). Now, 
as then, women of Samaria go there " to draw 
water " (verse 7). It was by this well that Jesus, 
while on his way through Samaria to Galilee, 
" being weary with the journey, sat," and held with 
the woman of Samaria one of the most beautiful 
and instructive dialogues ever recorded. This 
woman was doubtless a resident of the city of 
Shechem, or Sychar, which was near the well. 



CHAPTER XV. 

SHECHEM. SHILOII. BETHEL. 

1. After the return of the Jews from captivity 
in Babylon, a bitter feud sprang up between the 



76 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Jews and the Samaritans. Jerusalem was rebuilt 
as the capital of the Jews, while Shechem was 
made the capital of the Samaritans. While the 
Jews rebuilt their temple in Jerusalem, the Samar- 
itans built one on Mount Gerizim. Each party 
believed that its own place of worship was the only 
one acceptable to God. This appears in the dia- 
logue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. 
" Our fathers," said the woman, pointing to Mount 
Gerizim, " worshipped in this mountain; and ye 
say that in Jerusalem is the place where men 
ought to worship" (John 4: 20). Jesus seized 
the occasion to impress the truth that God does 
not attach special importance to the 'place where 
men worship. It did not matter whether men 
worshipped God in Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim, 
provided they worshipped him " in spirit and in 
truth." 

2. Much is said in the New Testament of the 
antipathy between Jews and Samaritans. The 
Jews used the name Samaritan as a term of re- 
proach. They scorned the teachings of Jesus, with 
the fling that he was a Samaritan. " Say we not 
well, that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?" 
(John 8 : 48). Hence we can understand the sur- 
prise of the woman at the well, that Jesus should 
ask a favor of her. " How is it that thou, being a 
Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of 
Samaria ? for the J ews have no dealings with the 
Samaritans " (John 4 : 9). Even the disciples 
" marvelled that he talked with the woman " (verse 
27). This antipathy gives peculiar force to the 
parable of the " good Samaritan " (Luke 10 : 30 
— 37). Profane history records several bloody 
wars between the J ews and Samaritans. Shechem 3 



THE HOLY LAND. 



77 



or Nabulus, is still the seat of a small number of 
Samaritans. 

3. Leaving Nabulus, or Shechem, a southerly 
course will soon bring us to Seilun, which is the 
modern name of the site of Shiloh. It is eleven 
or twelve miles from Shechem, and about twenty 
miles north of Jerusalem. It is somewhat to the 
east of the principal road going from Jerusalem 
northwards. Its situation is described somewhat 
minutely in Scripture. It is said tabe"onthe 
north side of Bethel, on the east side of the high- 
way that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and 
on the south of Lebonah" (Judges 21 : 19). The 
site of Shiloh is picturesquely situated among the 
hills. Not even a known ruin of the ancient Shi- 
loh remains, though there are the ruins of a less 
ancient village. 

4. Shiloh had considerable importance in the 
early Bible history. It was here that Joshua 
made the second division of the land of Canaan 
among the tribes of Israel. Five of the tribes had 
received their allotments of land on a former occa- 
sion. The second division at Shiloh assigned the 
remaining seven tribes their respective shares. 
Shiloh is chiefly famous as the seat of the taberna- 
cle containing the ark of the covenant. The ark 
was a sort of chest, in which were placed the tables 
of the law of Moses (Exodus 25 : 10—16). It 
became a material symbol of the Divine Presence, 
and hence the ark naturally became a most sacred 
object in the eyes of the Israelites. During their 
wanderings in the desert, the ark was borne before 
them by the priests. After the land of Canaan 
had been conquered and distributed among the 

tribes, a tabernacle for the ark was built in Shiloh. 

7 * 



78 



THE HOLT LAND. 



The ark remained in Shiloh from the time of 
Joshua to the time of Samuel, which was a period 
of three hundred and twenty-eight years. 

5. From its containing the ark of the covenant, 
Shiloh itself came to possess a degree of sanctity 
in the eyes of the Israelites. " A feast of the 
Lord " was held " in Shiloh yearly " while the ark 
remained there (Judges 21 : 19). On such occa- 
sions " the daughters of Shiloh came out to dance 
in dances " (verse 21). An extraordinary incident 
is named in connection with these dances. The 
Israelites had formed a bitter prejudice against 
the Benjaminites, and would not permit their 
daughters to marry among the Benjaminites. 
" Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, 
saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter 
unto Benjamin to wife " (verse 1). Hence the 
eldors among the Benjaminites instructed them to 
steal the daughters of Israel while they were danc- 
ing at the yearly feast in Shiloh ! (verse 21). " And 
the children of Benjamin did so, and took them 
wives, according to their number, of them that 
danced, whom they caught " (verse 23). 

6. During a war against the Philistines, the ark 
was finally taken from the tabernacle and placed 
at the head of the army. Here it was taken by 
the Philistines, but soon came back into the hands 
of the Israelites. It was, however, never brought 
back to Shiloh. The consequence was that Shiloh 
lost all its importance, and but little is afterwards 
said of it in the Bible. It is, indeed, named as 
the residence of the prophet Abijah (1 Kings 11 : 
29). Its subsequent decay is spoken of as a 
divine punishment for the sins of the people of 
Israel (Jer. 7 s 12). The prophet predicted that 



THE HOLY LAND. 



79 



Jerusalem should become like Shiloh (verse 14). 
It is also spoken of in Jeremiah 41 : 5, after which 
no further mention is made of the place. 

7. About six miles from Shiloh, on the way to 
Bethel, is the site of Gibeah, about midway be- 
tween the two places. Gibeah is noted as the 
scene of several remarkable events. A deed of 
great wickedness was perpetrated here by the Ben- 
jaminites. The result of the deed was a war which 
nearly extirpated the Benjaminites (J udges 19 — 21). 
Gibeah was the birth-place of Saul, who also re- 
sided here for a time while King of Israel. Dur- 
ing his royal residence at Gibeah, he fought with 
the Philistines. It was in this place that a ro- 
mantic and daring adventure of Jonathan, Saul's 
son, led to the defeat of the Philistines (1 Sam. 

14 )- 

8. Saul was greatly disliked by the Gibeonites, 
whom he treated with much cruelty. After his 
death, they retaliated upon his descendants. " Seven 
men of his sons " were " delivered into the hands 
of the Gibeonites," whom they hanged " on the 
hill before the Lord." A touching incident is re- 
lated of Bizpah, the mother of two of the men 
who were hung (2 Sam. 21 : 1 — 10). The present 
name of the place is Jeba, which is now a small 
village. 

9. In the Scripture account of Shiloh, it is 
said to be " on the north side of Bethel, on the 
east side of the highway that goeth up from 
Bethel." Bethel is twelve miles from Shiloh, and 
about nine miles north of Jerusalem. Its present 
name is Beitin. It is spoken of as early as the 
time of Abram. It was near Bethel that Abram 
" pitched his tent," and M builded an altar unto the 



80 THE HOLY LAND. 

Lord" (Gen. 12: 8). This was when he first 
entered the land of Canaan. It was in Bethel that 
Jacob passed a night on his way to Padan-aram. 
While in sleep he saw in a vision " a ladder set up 
on the earth, and the top of it reached unto heaven : 
and behold the angels of God ascending and de- 
scending on it" (Gen. 28: 12). It was in this 
vision that God pronounced on him the blessing, 
" In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of 
the earth be blessed" (verse 14). When Jacob 
awoke out of his sleep, " he was afraid, and said, 
How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but 
the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven " 
(verse 17). "And he called the name of that 
place Bethel " (verse 19). The word Bethel means 
"house of God." After this, Bethel became a 
favorite place of sojourn with Jacob, where he 
received the second time the name of Israel. He 
buried Deborah in Bethel. 

10. In the time of Joshua, Bethel is spoken of 
as the residence of a king (12 : 16). It was one 
of three places where Samuel judged Israel " year 
by year" (1 Sam. 7 : 16). At a later period, 
Bethel became a seat of idolatrous worship. The 
idolatrous king Jeroboam set up a golden calf in 
Bethel as an object of worship. He also " placed 
in Bethel the priests of the high places which he 
had made," and " he offered upon the altar which 
he had made in Bethel," " and burnt incense " 
(verses 29 — 33). Because of this idolatry Bethel 
became despicable in the eyes of the Jews. They 
applied to it the name of Beth-aven, which means 
" house of idols." 

11. Bethel was conquered from Jeroboam by 
Abijah, King of Judah (2 Chron. 13 : 19). It 



THE HOLY LAND. 



81 



afterwards came again into the hands of the Israel- 
ites. While the Israelites were captive in Baby- 
lon, Josiah, King of Judah, purified Bethel of its 
idolatries. The site is now covered with ancient 
ruins, and is everywhere surrounded by higher 
lands. Bethel is nowhere named in the New Tes- 
tament. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

ANTIPATRIS, PLAIN OF SHARON, CiESAREA. 

1. The places in Samaria now described were 
mostly in the middle of this province. There were 
other places, in the more eastern and western parts 
of the province, which had, however, much less im- 
portance than the cities of Samaria, Shechem, 
Shiloh, and Bethel. It is difficult to tell what 
places there were in the western part of Samaria. 
The western boundary line was never definitely 
determined, and was different in different periods 
of the Bible history. We must always remember 
that the boundary lines separating the various 
countries described in the Bible very seldom had 
the precision of modern times. 

2. In the time of Christ Samaria was not con- 
sidered as anywhere touching the sea. Some writ- 
ers, however, consider Tortura as forming its 
north-west corner. Tortura is the modern name 
of the Dor of the Old Testament. Dor was built 
on a stony peninsula which jutted out into the 
Mediterranean Sea, and is named as one of the 
royal cities of the Canaanites (Josh. 11 : 2). In 



THE HOLY LAND. 



the division of the territory among the tribes, Dor 
was given to the tribe of Manasseh (12 : 23). It 
is worthy of particular mention as a place where 
corners of G-alilee, Samaria, and Judea, all met. 
Tortura, or Dor, is twelve miles south of Mount 
Carmel, and eight miles north of the Caesarea 
where Paul made Felix tremble. In the days of 
Joshua Dor was doubtless a strong city. The 
modern Tortura is a small village, and its inhabit- 
ants are very poor and wretched. 

3. A line drawn from Dor forty miles to the 
south may be considered as describing the western 
boundary of Samaria. The narrow strip between 
this line and the Mediterranean belonged, in the 
days of Christ, to J udea. Antipatris was on the 
east of this boundary, and hence we may call it 
a Samaritan city. It is the only place of any 
importance named in the New Testament in the 
western part of the province. The city was 
built by Herod the Great, and was named Antipa- 
tris in honor of Herod's father, Antipater. It 
was beautifully situated in a fertile and shady spot, 
and was nearly surrounded by a river. There 
were numerous groves of trees in its vicinity. 

4. Antipatris was on the road leading from Je- 
rusalem to Caesarea. It was about thirty miles 
from Jerusalem. Paul was brought by the Roman 
soldiers from Jerusalem to Antipatris by night, 
when on his way to Caesarea to be tried before 
Felix, the Roman governor (Acts 23 : 31). The 
distance between Antipatris and Caesarea was about 
twenty miles. 

5. We have already spoken of the narrow strip 
of territory belonging to Judea which separates 
Samaria on the west from the sea. This strip is a 



THE HOLY LAND. 



83 



continuation of the level tract which starts to the 
south from Mount Carmel. The whole level tract 
between Carmel and Joppa is known in Scripture 
as the Plain of Sharon. The part of it between 
Caesarea and J oppa, bounding Samaria on the west, 
belongs to Judea. This, too, is by far the richest 
part of the plain, and there is not in all Palestine 
a more delightful region. The book of Canticles 
speaks of " the rose of Sharon " (2 : 1). " The 
excellency of Sharon " is associated with that of 
Carmel (Isaiah 35 : 2). Nowhere in the Holy 
Land are the flowers so numerous and abundant. 
Its entire surface is a carpet of green, and corn- 
fields are profuse of luxuriance. In Scripture 
times it was famous for its verdure and loveliness. 

6. The region of the plain presents a variegated 
scene. On the east it is walled in by the moun- 
tains of Samaria, with numerous villages sprinkled 
along the foot of the mountains. Groves of trees 
and fields of grain intervene between the inhabited 
places. The blue expanse of the Mediterranean 
presents an enchanting contrast to the landward 
view. The plain of Sharon was far more exten- 
sively cultivated in the days of the Bible than at 
the present time. It is now mainly in the posses- 
sion of wild Arabs. 

7. In the time of Christ, Caesarea, next to Jeru- 
salem, was by far the most important city in Pales- 
tine. It was a sea-port near the northern extremity 
of Judea. It was sixty-two miles north-west of 
Jerusalem. It led into what we have seen was, in 
Old Testament times, called the plain of Sharon. 
Caesarea was built by Herod the Great twenty-two 
years before Christ. No labor or expense was 
spared to make it a city of great magnificence. A 



84 



THE HOLY LAND. 



mole, built of heavy stone, and running some dis- 
tance into the sea, made its harbor perfectly safe, 
even during the greatest storms. This mole was one 
of the most stupendous works of antiquity. The 
city was ornamented with theatres, palaces, and 
temples. While Judea belonged to the Romans, 
Caesarea was its military capital. The place is 
often mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Cor- 
nelius, " a devout man, and one that feared God," 
was a resident of Caesarea. He was baptized by 
Peter as the first fruit of the Gentiles (Acts 10). 
The apostle Paul was a prisoner here two years, at 
which time his reasoning of " righteousness, tem- 
perance, and judgment to come," made Felix trem- 
ble (24:25). Felix was the Roman governor 
residing in Caesarea. It was here, too, that Paul's 
plea for Christianity caused Agrippa to exclaim, 
" Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian H 
(26:28). 

8. Nothing now remains of Caesarea but desola- 
tion and ruins. Its splendid temples and palaces 
have been converted into quarries. Not a single 
human being inhabits the place. It is the home 
of wild beasts alone. Much of the city of Acre, 
thirty-six miles to the north, was built of the ruins 
of Caesarea. The site is usually called Caesarea- 
Palestine, to distinguish it from Caesarea-Philippi, 
near the source of the Jordan, in Galilee. 

9. Thirty miles south of Caesarea is the ancient 
J oppa. It is situated on the sea-coast, forty-five 
miles north-west of Jerusalem. Joppa is one of 
the most ancient places known to history. There 
are fabulous accounts of its existence before the 
flood. It certainly existed before the Israelites 
conquered the promised land. Joppa was the only 



THE HOLY LAND. 



85 



sea-port owned by the Israelites, and, till the build- 
ing of Caesarea, it was the only port connecting 
with Jerusalem. Its connection with Jerusalem 
gave Joppa all its importance. Whatever was 
sent to Jerusalem by the sea was landed at Joppa. 
The timber from Lebanon for Solomon's temple 
was taken " in floats by sea to Joppa " (2 Chron. 
2 : 16). 

10. It was at Joppa that Jonah found " a ship 
going to Tarshish." This was when he sought to 
See " from the presence of the Lord " (Jonah 1:3). 
Joppa is named in the New Testament in connec- 
tion with a visit by the apostle Peter. It was 
here that he raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 
9 : 36 — 39). The miracle was soon " known through- 
out all Joppa." The consequence was " that many 
believed in the Lord." Peter " tarried many days 
in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner " (verse 43). 
While here Peter had the remarkable vision of the 
" great sheet," which taught him to " call no man 
common or unclean." The meaning was, that he 
should no longer regard the Gentiles as less entitled 
to favor than the Jews. Joppa has always been a 
poor harbor and dangerous for shipping, and would 
never have been used had there been any other 
way of reaching Jerusalem. Its modern name is 
Jaffa. It has suffered much from the ravages of 
war. Pilgrims to Jerusalem usually go by way 
of Jaffa. The present town is situated on a high 
ground, and commands a beautiful prospect of the 
sea, and of the surrounding territory. The place 
itself presents a wretched appearance. 

11. Nine miles east of Joppa is Lydda, another 
place visited by Peter. It is situated on the road 
from the port to Jerusalem. The name of the 

8 



86 



THE HOLY LAND. 



place in the Old Testament is Lod. It was built 
by one of the tribes of Israel. It is said of Peter, 
that "as he passed throughout all quarters he came 
down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda " 
(Acts 9 : 32). Here he miraculously restored " a 
certain man named Eneas " to health. Eneas had 
been kept to his bed eight years with the palsy. 
" And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, 
and turned to the Lord " (verse 35). 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE PHILISTINE CITIES. 

1. Proceeding southward from Lydda, and 
keeping in the vicinity of the sea, we soon come 
into the region of the ancient Philistines. This 
region properly came within the territory of J udea 
in the time of Christ. The Philistines occupied 
all the territory on the sea-coast between the neigh- 
borhood of Ekron and Egypt. This included a 
narrow strip of about twenty-five miles in length. 
Hence, the country assigned to the tribe of Judah 
was bounded by the land of the Philistines on the 
west. With reference to the whole country it may 
be said, that the Philistines occupied the south- 
western part of Palestine. It may be remembered 
that the name of Palestine came from the circum- 
stance that the Philistines occupied this portion of 
the country. 

2. The Philistines had cities and states as early 
as the time of Abraham. They had the reputation 



THE HOLY LAND. 



87 



of being a powerful and warlike people while the 
Israelites were in Egypt. For this reason the 
Israelites, in going from Egypt into the promised 
land, did not dare to pass through the land of the 
Philistines. Yet this route would have been their 
shortest and most direct way. 

3. The Philistines were not a tribe of Canaan- 
ites. Hence, when the Israelites undertook to 
drive out the Canaanites, they did not molest the 
Philistines, xlfterwards, however, the most des- 
perate wars took place between the two nations. 
The Philistines were the most troublesome and 
powerful enemies the Israelites had to contend 
with. As a general thing the Israelites were the 
victors, though the Philistines had occasional tri- 
umphs. At one time they conquered the ark of 
the covenant. Following this, the Israelites were 
for twenty years subject to the Philistines. In the 
Old Testament much is said of the wars against the 
Philistines. Among others, Samson, Samuel, Saul, 
and David, led armies against them. They were 
finally subdued by David, and, though they occa- 
sionally revolted, they never afterwards gained 
permanent independence. Accounts of the wars 
between the Philistines and Israelites occupy a 
great part of the Old Testament. 

4. Five principal cities are named as belonging 
to the Philistines. These were Ekron, Gath, 
Ashclod, Ascalon, and Graza. Each of these cities 
was the capital of a distinct state. The states, 
however, all came under a sort of federal union. 
It was this circumstance in part that made them 
so effective in war. The whole country of the 
Philistines was a plain, and was thus distinguished 
from " the hill-country of Judea." 



88 



THE HOLY LAND. 



5. Ekron is regarded as the most important of 
the Philistine cities. It was on the extreme north 
of the territory, and was looked upon by the tribe 
of Judah as within their limits. It was situated 
about seven miles south-west of Lydda, and the 
same distance from the coast. It was twenty 
miles nearly west of Jerusalem. Ekron is famous 
in the Old Testament because of its connection 
with the ark of the covenant. The Philistines, 
having conquered the ark from the Israelites, found 
its possession the occasion of divine judgments. 
Wherever it was, the hand of the Lord was heavy 
on the people. It was sent to Ekron, and, of 
course, filled the Ekronites with alarm. We are 
told that " the Ekronites cried out, saying, They 
have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to 
us, to slay us and our people" (1 Sam. 5: 10). 
So they determined to send it back to the Israelites. 
They had reason to desire its removal, " for there 
was a deadly destruction throughout all the city " 
(verse 14). The Ekronites chose a singular mode 
of conveying the ark. They constructed a cart for 
the purpose, to be drawn to the Israelites by two 
milch kine (6 : 1 — 8). Ekron is among the Philis- 
tine cities denounced by the prophets (Jer. 25 : 
20). Baalzebub is named as the god of Ekron (2 
Kings 1:2). A village called Akir now occupies 
the site of Ekron. 

6. The site of Gath is not exactly known, 
though according to the latest authorities it was 
probably four or five miles south of Ekron. This 
would make it about eight miles from the sea. 
Gath makes a conspicuous figure in the Old Testa- 
ment. It was one of the largest of the Philistine 
cities. It will be forever famous as the residence 



THE HOLY LAND. 



89 



of Goliah. It will be recollected that this Goliah. 
was the giant " whose height was six cubits and a 
span " (1 Sam. 17 : 4). Though the champion of 
the Philistines, David slew him in single combat. 
It is not certain that Goliah was born in Gath. 

7. Gath was one of the Philistine cities that 
suffered from the possession of the ark. " The 
hand of the Lord was against the city with a very 
great destruction" (1 Sam. 5:9). It was the 
Gathites who sent the ark to Ekron. It was to 
Achish, King of Gath, that David fled from the 
wrath of Saul. " And the servants of Achish said 
unto him, Is not this David the King of the land ? 
did they not sing one to another of him in dances, 
saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David 
his ten thousands ? " These words caused David 
to be "sore afraid of Achish, the King of Gath." 
In order to evade the enmity of the king, "he 
feigned himself mad " (21 : 10—15). Gath was 
frequently at war with the Israelites. It was two 
or three times conquered, yet was always a dan- 
gerous enemy. Yery frequent allusion is made to 
Gath in the Old Testament. 

8. Ashdod is the name of another great Philis- 
tine city, which was situated on a round hill, two 
or three miles from the sea. It was twenty miles 
south-west of Joppa, and near thirty miles west of 
Jerusalem. Its site is exceedingly beautiful and 
picturesque. At the present time the place is 
thickly surrounded by olive-trees. Ashdod was 
so situated as to command the road between Egypt 
and the northern countries. Hence, in the wars 
between Egypt and these countries, it was an im- 
portant object to get possession of this city. Thus, 
when Tartan was on his way against Egypt, he 



90 



THE HOLY LAND. 



first " fought against Ashdod and took it " (Isaiah 
20 : 1). Tartan was the general of an Assyrian 
army. 

9. Like other Philistine cities, Ashdod was 
often at war with the Israelites. It was several 
times conquered, yet never became a permanent 
conquest. It is named as a reproach that many 
Jews had married wives in Ashdod (Neh. 13 : 23, 
24). It is said that this city suffered the longest 
siege on record. It lasted twenty-nine years. 
This was from Psammeticus, King of Egypt. The 
destruction of Ashdod was foretold by prophecy 
(Amos 1:8). It was afterwards rebuilt, and at 
the time of Christ's appearance was under the 
dominion of Herod the Great. It is known in the 
New Testament as Azotus. The evangelist Philip 
is spoken of as "found at Azotus" (Acts 8: 40). 
Broken columns and arches, and other ruins, now 
mark the site of the ancient city. 

10. Ten miles south-west of Ashdod is the site 
of Askelon. This city was situated directly on 
the sea-coast, and was the only maritime port 
possessed by the Philistines. It was a strongly- 
fortified place, a ridge of rock entirely encircling 
it on the land side. Like the other cities of the 
Philistines, Askelon was a formidable enemy to 
the Israelites. Though they conquered it, they 
could not keep possession of it. The adjoining 
country was remarkably fruitful, and vines, onions, 
aud aromatic plants, grew in great abundance. 
Askelon is noted as the birth-place of Herod the 
Great. He greatly adorned it with baths, foun- 
tains, and colonnades. The city, however, did not 
belong to his kingdom. The ancient walls of the 
city in part still remain. The desolation, however, 



THE HOLY LAND. 



91 



is complete, not a human being now residing there. 
The prophecy is fulfilled to the letter : " and As- 
kelon shall not be inhabited " (Zech. 9 : 5). 

11. Gaza was originally a Canaanitish city, and 
is among the oldest named in the Bible. In time 
it became one of the five Philistine cities. Its site 
is ten miles south of Askelon, and over forty miles 
south-west of Jerusalem. The ancient city was 
within two or three miles of the sea. Gaza may 
be considered as the terminating point of the Holy 
Land on the south-west, being, in fact, on the bor- 
ders of Egypt. Its situation with reference to the 
surrounding nations gives it great importance. 
The military road connecting Egypt with the Syr- 
ian nations north and west passed through Gaza. 
Every conqueror who passed through the place 
felt obliged to take possession of it. Hence it 
suffered much from many enemies. It was suc- 
cessively in the possession of the Assyrians, Egyp- 
tians, and Persians. 

12. Joshua extended the conquests of the 
Israelites as far as Gaza, but did not conquer the 
city. Afterwards, J udah conquered it, along with 
Askelon and Ekron (Judges 1 : 18). In time 
the Philistines of all these cities regained their 
independence, and in turn exercised dominion over 
the Israelites for forty years. Then Samson came 
as the avenger of the Israelites. Gaza was the 
scene of many of Samson's exploits, and it was 
here that he met with his fall. It was in Gaza 
that he pulled down upon himself and the assembled 
multitude the temple of Dagon (Judges 16: 30). 
It was the gate of Gaza that Samson carried away 
to the top of a hill (verses 1 — 3). Under David 
the Israelites finally subdued the Philistines. 



92 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Hence the kingdom of Solomon, David's son, em- 
braced Gaza. At a much later period, this city 
found its severest enemy in Alexander the Great, 
who conquered the place after a siege of five 
months. The brave defenders of the city he killed, 
and the women and children were sold as slaves. 
People were called in from the surrounding regions 
to inhabit the place. 

13. The ancient Gaza was situated on a small 
hill, where a few fragmentary ruins still exist. 
These appear as materials in the now existing 
buildings. The adjacent soil is very rich, and 
apricots and berries are abundant. On its north- 
ern side is an immense grove of olive-trees. On 
the east are extensive gardens, protected by hedges 
of prickly pear. The caravan route between 
Egypt and Syria goes through the place, and 
brings considerable trade. The present city has 
about sixteen thousand population, and exceeds that 
of Jerusalem. The evangelist Philip was directed 
to go from Samaria " towards the south, unto the 
way that goeth from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which 
is desert" (Acts 8: 26). The phrase "which is 
desert " must have referred to " the way " to Gaza. 
It could not have meant the city itself. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

BEERSHEBA. HEBRON. BETHLEHEM. 

1. The description of Judea now learned, com- 
mencing with Dor on the north, and extending to 
Gaza, embraces the entire Mediterranean coast of 



THE HOLY LAND. 



93 



the province. It also embraces the 'plain as dis- 
tinguished from " the hill-country " of Judea. 
Leaving Gaza, and keeping along the southern 
border of Palestine a distance of twenty-two miles, 
we come to Beersheba. Beersheba will be a good 
point of departure in going through the interior 
and hilly region of Judea north to Jerusalem. 

2. On the way from Gaza to Beersheba the route 
passes over the site of Gerar, the name of a very 
ancient city. Grerar had an interesting history in 
the time of the patriarchs. After Sodom was de- 
stroyed, " Abraham sojourned in Gerar" (Gen. 
20 : 1). During a famine in the rest of Canaan, 
"Isaac dwelt in Gerar" (26: 6). The Kings of 
Gerar had very curious and interesting relations 
with the patriarchs. The place had been awarded 
to one of the tribes of Israel, yet it was a Philistine 
city. It early disappears in history, and no men- 
tion is made of it in the later books of the Bible. 
No traces of it now exist. 

3. The southern border of Palestine, in going 
from Gaza to Gerar, winds gradually to the south, 
and in going from Gerar to Beersheba it reaches a 
south-east direction. Beersheba is about thirty- 
eight miles from Jerusalem, in a direction a little 
west of south. Beersheba marks the extreme 
southern point of the Holy Land. Hence its name 
was commonly used to signify the extent of the 
country in that direction. " From Dan to Beer- 
sheba " meant the whole length of the country from 
north to south (Judges 20 : 1). " From Beersheba 
even unto Dan " meant the whole length of the 
country from south to north (1 Chron. 21 : 2). 
Beersheba was a famous place of sojourn with the 
patriarchs. Abraham formed a treaty of peace 



94 



THE HOLY LAND. 



and friendship here with Abimelech the king. The 
patriarch had dug a well, which the servants of 
Abimelech took from him. After the treaty the 
well was restored, and the mutual oath to observe 
the compact was taken by it. This circumstance 
gave the place its name, Beersheba, which means, 
the Well of the Oath. Abraham planted a grove 
here and consecrated it to Jehovah. The Scrip- 
ture account of these things is exceedingly beauti- 
ful (Gen. 21 : 22—34). The name was after- 
wards transferred to the town built upon its site. 
The two sons of Samuel were made " judges in 
Beersheba " (1 Sam. 8 : 2). Elijah, when threat- 
ened by Jezebel, "went for his life and came to 
Beersheba " (1 Kings 19 : 3). After the Cap- 
tivity the Jews made Beersheba a place of resi- 
dence (Neh. 11 : 27, 30), and no mention is made 
of the place afterwards. Two wells of excellent 
water still exist on its site. Few if any ruins 
have been discovered. 

4. Leaving Beersheba for the north, a journey 
of twenty-three miles brings us to Hebron. We 
may remember that Jacob and his sons went over 
the same route in going from Hebron to Egypt 
(G-en. 46 : 1 — 6). We soon discover that the inte- 
rior of Judea presents a very different appearance 
from what is presented by the coast. All along 
the coast the country is so level as to be called 
The Plain, but as we approach Hebron it is so 
broken and hilly as to be called " the hill-country 
of Judea" (Luke 1 : 65). The hills are very nu- 
merous, and are seen to be sharp and steep. Yery 
much of the soil presents a fertile appearance, and 
vineyards and olive-trees are numerous. Flocks 
of sheep are seen feeding on the hill-sides. The 



THE HOLY LAND. 



95 



air is cooler, and the climate more healthy, than by 
the sea-shore. The site of Hebron is more than 
half a mile higher than the sea. 

5. Few places have more interesting Scripture 
associations than Hebron. It is one of the most 
ancient places on record, having been " built seven 
years before Zoan, in Egypt " (Num. 13 : 22). It 
was first called Kirjath-Arba, which means, " city 
of Arba." This Arba " was a great man among 
the Anakims " (Josh. 14 : 15). The Anakims 
were a race possessing Hebron and vicinity to the 
time of Joshua. The place was also called Mamre 
(Gen. 23 : 19). Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, lived 
in Hebron, and were entombed there. The Israel- 
ites led by Joshua took the place from the Ana- 
kims. It was then given to the tribe of Judah. 
Afterwards it fell to the possession of the priests 
and Levites. It was also made one of the cities 
of refuge. When David became Kins; of Judah 
he made Hebron his capital, and reigned there 
" seven years and six months " (2 Sam. 5:5). 
Here he was " accounted king over Israel " 
(verse 3). On becoming king of all Israel he made 
Jerusalem his capital. This circumstance is thought 
to have excited the ill-will of the people of Hebron, 
as it was here that David's son, Absalom, was 
enabled to rebel against his father's royal authority. 
Hebron was made a fortified city by Rehoboarn 
(2 Chron. 11 : 10). The prophets make no men- 
tion of the place, and nothing is said of it in the 
New Testament. The site of Hebron was a valley, 
and is spoken of as " the vale of Hebron " (Gen. 
37 : 14). The " pool in Hebron " still exists. It 
was here that the assassins of Ish-bosheth were 
hung (2 Sam. 4 : 12). It is even now a place of 



96 



THE HOLY LAND. 



considerable size. Visitors are shown what are 
called the sepulchres of the patriarchs, but no con- 
fidence is placed in such statements. Hebron is 
only eight miles south of Jerusalem. 

6. Eleven miles north of Hebron we reach a 
locality forever hallowed in the history of the world. 
The name of the place is Bethlehem. It was here 
that Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World, was 
born. No traveller can approach the scene of this 
sacred association without deep emotion. It is 
remembered that David, the great King of Israel, 
was also born in Bethlehem. Hence the place was 
sometimes called " the city of David " (Luke 2 : 4). 
It was also the scene of the book of Bath. Aside 
from these events, the place has little importance 
in Bible history, as appears incidentally in an 
allusion of the prophet. " But thou, Beth-lehem- 
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands 
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto 
me that is to be ruler in Israel " (Micah 5 : 2). 
Its physical insignificance is here contrasted with 
its moral grandeur as the destined birth-place of 
the Saviour of the World. 

7. Bethlehem is known in Scripture by several 
different names. It is called Beth-lehem- Judah, 
to distinguish it from another Bethlehem in the 
northern part of Palestine. It is also called Ephra- 
tah, and its inhabitants Ephratites (Gen. 48 : 7). 
Strangers visiting Bethlehem are shown numerous 
places which are said to be associated with events 
in the history of Christ. The Church of the Na- 
tivity is an object of great interest. This was 
built by Helen, the mother of Constantine. Many 
buildings intended to mark places of great import- 
ance in the life of Christ were built by this pious 



THE HOLY LAND. 



97 



woman. The Church of the Nativity exhibits great 
beauty of architecture. It was thought to identify 
the spot where the Saviour was born. Three large 
pools, called " Solomon's pools," still exist not far 
from Bethlehem. On the north-east part of the 
town is a broad valley, which every traveller is 
anxious to see. Many suppose that it was in this 
valley that shepherds watched u over their flock 
by night," when the angels announced the birth 
of a Saviour (Luke 2 : 8 — 15). Bethlehem has 
been the scene of pilgrimages for centuries. It is 
beautifully situated on a hill. There are now 
about three thousand inhabitants. A journey of 
four or five miles to the north brings us to Jerusa- 
lem, the great metropolis of the Jewish city, and 
the most renowned city in the world. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

JERUSALEM. 

1. Ancient Jerusalem has peculiar claims on 
our attention and study. It is by far the most 
important city of which the Bible gives an account, 
and is, indeed, the most remarkable place in the 
religious history of the world. A far greater num- 
ber of important events took place in Jerusalem 
than in any other part of the Holy Land. Yet it 
has an interest aside from these events. It was 
the great metropolis of the Jewish people, to whose 
history the Old Testament is mainly given. It 
was the centre of the political and religious welfare 



98 



THE HOLY LAND. 



of the J ewish people. The very life of the Jewish 
religion was in J erusalem, and the political and 
religious welfare of the nation depended on the 
condition of things in this metropolis. Though an 
enemy took all the rest of the country, he would 
not have been a conqueror of Palestine until he 
had taken the great capital. Yet, had an enemy 
conquered Jerusalem only, this would have made 
him really the conqueror of the whole country. 
While this city remained, the nation existed and 
had its religion and government. When Jerusalem 
was destroyed, the nation had, for the time, lost 
its religion and government. To understand how 
the metropolis had such vital importance will ena- 
ble us to understand many significant portions of 
the Bible. We must, therefore, be unusually par- 
ticular in getting an account of ancient J erusalem. 
We may properly begin with a sketch of its history 
down to the time of Christ. 

2. The site of J erusalem is first definitely known 
as " the land of Moriah." It was on this spot 
that Abraham purposed to offer his son Isaac as a 
" burnt-offering " (Gen. 22 : 2). It is thought by 
many that the place was the Salem of which Mel- 
chizedek was king. This supposition, however, is 
quite improbable, though there is good reason to 
think that the original name of the place was Salem. 
It is early mentioned by the name of Jebus, and 
was so called because occupied by a Canaanitish 
tribe, called the Jebusites. These Jebusites were 
bitter enemies of the Israelites. Their capital was 
on that part of Jerusalem called Mount Zion, where 
they had a strong fortification. An army of Isra- 
elites succeeded in conquering all of the city except 
this fort, but were wholly unable to expel the 



THE HOLY LAND. 



99 



Jebusites from this. The consequence was, that 
" the children of Judah," or Israelites, and the 
Jebusites dwelt together in the city (Josh. 15 : 63). 
By " the children of Judah," are meant those Isra- 
elites who were of the tribe of Judah. The wars 
against the Jebusites were fought mostly by the 
tribes of Judah and Benjamin. It may be added 
here that the name Jerusalem probably came from 
a union of the two names, J ebus-Salem. 

3. It was reserved for King David to conquer 
the fort on Mount Ziou. The Jebusites defied his 
power, " Nevertheless, David took the stronghold 
of Zion " (2 Sam. 5 : 7). This place he made his 
royal residence, naming it after himself. " So 
David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of 
David " (verse 9). It was at this time that David 
left Hebron and made J erusalem the capital of all 
Israel, from which period the great importance of 
the place commenced. 

4. Almost the first care of King David was to 
remove to his new metropolis the ark of the cove- 
nant. It was brought to Mount Zion with great 
pomp, where it remained till the temple was built 
for its reception. With the possession of the ark 
of the covenant, J erusalem began to have a sanc- 
tity in the eyes of all Jews. King David dying, 
his son Solomon ascended the throne. It was the 
great work of Solomon to adorn the city which his 
father had made the capital. The great achieve- 
ment of his reign was the building of the temple. 
Mount Moriah was selected as the site of the 
building. The temple was the best specimen of 
architecture of which the age was capable. It is 
forever known as Solomon's Temple. Into this 
the ark of the covenant was moved. It was called 



100 



THE HOLY LAND. 



" the house of Jehovah," and was the typical resi- 
dence of the God of Israel. It was revered by the 
people as containing the very presence of the Lord, 
and it thus made Jerusalem the centre of the reli- 
gious affairs of the nation. And so J erusalem be- 
came the place which Moses had said the Lord 
God should choose to put his name in. " The 
place which the Lord your God shall choose out 
of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto 
his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt 
come " (Deut. 12 : 5). 

5. On the death of Solomon, his son Rehoboam 
became king. The kingdom was then broken into 
two hostile sections. Ten of the tribes revolted 
from the government of Rehoboam, the two tribes 
of Judah and Benjamin alone remaining in alle- 
giance. The ten revolted tribes took the name of 
the kingdom of Israel. The tribes of Judah and 
Benjamin took the name of the kingdom of Judah. 
Thenceforth Jerusalem became the metropolis of 
Judah. The word J ew was first used to designate 
one who belonged to the kingdom of Judah, but 
afterwards came to be applied to men of both king- 
doms. 

6. From the death of Solomon the fortunes of 
Jerusalem alternated between good and evil till it 
was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Under good 
kings it prospered, and under bad kings it suffered. 
It was several times conquered and pillaged. It 
was conquered by Shishak, King of Egypt. J eho- 
ash, King of Israel, took the city, and robbed the 
temple. It generally prospered under such kings 
as Uzziah, J otham, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. Final- 
ly, its conquest by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Baby- 
lon, was complete. This took place four hundred 



THE HOLY LAND* 



101 



and forty-seven years from the time of David. 
Nebuchadnezzar razed the walls, and destroyed 
the temple and the palaces. The golden vessels of 
the temple he carried to Babylon. All the Jews 
who fell into his hands were carried captive to 
Babylon (2 Kings 25), where they remained 
seventy years (Jeremiah 25 : 11). This event is 
what is called " The Babylonish Captivity," or 
sometimes simply " The Captivity." 

7. Divine wisdom, however, purposed that Jeru- 
salem should be rebuilt ; and Cyrus, King of Persia, 
was made the instrument of this work. At the end 
of seventy years of captivity, near fifty thousand 
Jews were sent back to their country. Zerubbabel 
was appointed their leader, and under his super- 
intendence the work of rebuilding the city was 
begun. The Samaritans and other enemies of the 
Jews resisted their efforts to rebuild the temple, 
yet in a few years the work was completed. The 
sacred vessels carried away by Nebuchadnezzar 
were restored, and the worship of Jehovah was 
again established in Jerusalem. Of course, the 
return of the Jews and the restoration of their 
metropolis were occasions of great joy and exulta- 
tion. 

8. From the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the ap- 
pearing of Christ is a period of about five hundred 
years. But little of its history during this period 
can be learned from the Bible. A few interesting 
events are derived from other sources. The city 
found at first an enemy, and afterwards a friend, in 
Alexander the Great. Ptolemy, King of Egypt, 
plundered it, and carried many of the inhabitants 
into Egypt. J erusalem suffered severe persecution 
from Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, who des- 



102 



THE HOLY LAND. 



troyed the walls of the city, and built a citadel out 
of its stones. He abolished the worship of Jehovah, 
and placed in the temple a statue of Jupiter. The 
city, however, rose from these severe misfortunes. 
Jerusalem was destined to attain its greatest 
grandeur at the hands of a very wicked and cruel 
man, Herod the Great, King of Judea. A few 
years before the birth of Christ, he almost entirely 
rebuilt the temple. So important and extensive 
were his improvements, that he is sometimes said to 
have built a new temple. The building certainly 
attained, from his munificence, a grandeur and glory 
much greater than the first received from Solomon. 

9. The splendor to which Herod the Great had 
raised Jerusalem was to last but a short time. 
Infinite wisdom had purposed to do away with the 
religion and government of the Jews, and the Gos- 
pel of Christ was to succeed the religious system 
of Moses. The Jews were also to be punished for 
their unbelief and hardness of heart. The destruc- 
tion of the Jewish religion and the punishment of 
the people were to be accomplished by a single 
event, and this event was the destruction of Jeru- 
salem itself! When Christ was in Jerusalem he 
knew the doom awaiting the proud city and the 
gorgeous temple. In various passages of the New 
Testament he predicts their overthrow. The dis- 
ciples came to Jesus " for to show him the build- 
ings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, 
See ye not all these things ? Yerily I say unto 
you, there shall not be left here one stone upon 
another, that shall not be thrown down " ( Matt. 
24 : 1, 2). It was of Jerusalem that he said, 
"For the days shall come upon thee that thine 
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass 



THE HOLY LAND. 



103 



thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and 
shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy chil- 
dren within thee " (Luke 19 : 43, 44). 

10. These predictions were literally fulfilled 
even during the lifetime of some who heard 
Christ utter them. Titus led a Roman army 
against the city, and put the inhabitants to a 
horrible slaughter. The temple was so utterly 
destroyed that not one stone was left upon another, 
all traces of it being completely effaced. Since 
the time of this destruction, the Jews have been 
scattered over the world, without a city, and with- 
out a common temple. Yet it is the belief of 
every Jew that at some time or other his nation will 
again possess Jerusalem. It is this expectation 
which keeps the Jews a distinct people, notwith- 
standing their national existence has been destroyed 
for so many centuries. 



CHAPTER XX. 

JERUSALEM CONTINUED. 

1. From the historical sketch which we have 
now learned, it appears that Jerusalem had reached 
its highest grandeur at the time when Christ 
appeared. We must now endeavor to get an idea 
of the city more particularly as it was at this im- 
portant period of its greatness and prosperity. It 
is impossible, however, to give much more than 
a general description of ancient Jerusalem. The 
Scriptures call but one of its streets by a particu- 



104 



THE HOLY LAND, 



lar name, and no very minute account of its build- 
ings has been preserved. Not even a ruin of the 
city as it was in Bible times is positively known 
to exist. We must be content, therefore, with a 
description of its physical features, and of the 
few important localities and buildings of which 
knowledge has come down to the present age. 

2. The site of Jerusalem was almost the summit 
of the mountain range which ran from north to 
south through the southern half of Palestine. It 
was forty-two miles east of the Mediterranean, 
and twenty-five miles west of the Jordan. On 
account of its elevated position, it was sometimes 
called " Vision." It could be seen from many dis- 
tant quarters of Palestine. Abraham u saw the 
place afar off" (Gren. 22:4). Jerusalem was 
built on three hills, the names of which were Zion, 
Acra, and Moriah. Formerly the valleys sepa- 
rating these hills were deep and rugged, but as the 
city grew these valleys were in some places partially 
filled up. Yet even now travellers recognize the 
three landmarks of Zion, Acra, and Moriah. 

3. Jerusalem was from the first a walled city, 
The Scriptures have much to say of its walls, 
towers, gates, and bulwarks. Indeed, every ancient 
city had walls for a defence. The first wall sur- 
rounding J erusalem was destroyed when the city was 
conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. When the Jews 
returned from the Captivity to rebuild the city, 
a second wall was built by Nehemiah, and this wall 
surrounded the city when Christ appeared. It is 
not possible to trace the whole course of this wall 
with perfect distinctness. It is thought to have 
enclosed the three hills already named. 

4. Every reader of Scripture is familiar with 



THE HOLY LAND. 



105 



the name of " Mount Zion." In the Old Testa- 
ment accounts of Jerusalem, the hill Zion is by 
far the most conspicuous locality. We have seen 
that it was this hill that the Israelites were for a 
long time unable to conquer. We have seen too 
that David made it his royal residence, and called 
it " the city of David." Mount Zion formed the 
south-western part of Jerusalem. The city wall 
went round the brink of its western and southern 
sides. The valley of Hinnom winds round the 
same sides of the hill. On the western side the 
summit is about a hundred feet above the valley, 
and on the southern side the valley sinks to three 
hundred feet below the summit. A good part of 
the summit of Mount Zion is a level tract. The 
eastern side is sloping, though not abrupt. The 
valley which winds round its northern and eastern 
sides was called by Josephus " the valley of the 
cheesemongers." It is now called the Tyropceon. 
Solomon's palace was situated on the north-east 
corner of Zion. Next to the temple, this was the 
most magnificent building in Jerusalem, up to the 
time of the Captivity. On the eastern slope of 
the hill, south of Solomon's palace, were the 
dwellings of the priests. The palace of David was 
probably in the same vicinity. Tradition locates 
David's tomb on the southern part of the hill. It 
is impossible to give many particulars touching the 
residences on Mount Zion. It is certain that here 
were the most costly and magnificent buildinga 
Only part of Zion is now inhabited, and the " city of 
David " has literally become " a ploughed field." 

5. Mount Acra formed the north-western part 
of Jerusalem. The Tyropceon, called by Josephus 
* the valley of the cheesemongers," separated 



106 



THE HOLY LANB, 



Acra from Zion. The name Acra means citadel, 
and was given to this hill because Antiochus Epi- 
phanes built a citadel on it. We have seen that the 
object of this citadel was to overawe the services 
in the temple. Titus, the Roman general who de- 
stroyed Jerusalem, encamped his army on the 
north-western part of Acra. Acra was called " the 
lower city." This was to distinguish it from 
Zion, which was the " upper city." Acra is now 
much lower than formerly. Not many years be- 
fore Christ, it was lowered in order that it might 
not be higher than the temple ! Acra is now the 
site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. 

6. The entire eastern side of J erusalem is a nar- 
row hilly ridge. Without the city, this ridge was 
bounded by the valley of Jehoshaphat on the east. 
Within the city, it was separated by the Tyropceon 
from Zion. A smaller valley separated it from 
Acra. The highest part of this ridge was the mid- 
dle. This part was the famous Mount Moriah, 
whereon was built the renowned temple. Hence, 
to a Jew, this locality is now the most sacred spot 
of ground on the globe. Originally Moriah was 
not large enough to give the temple a proper basis. 
Walls of enormous height were built up from the 
valley, in order to hold the dirt spread over its 
summit. One of these walls was over five hundred 
feet high ! It is impossible to tell by what means 
the stones of the temple were conveyed to the top 
of Mount Moriah. Some of these stones were over 
seventy feet in length ! 

7. We have seen Jerusalem was built on the 
three hills of Zion, Acra, and Moriah. Moriah, 
however, may be considered as embracing three 
smaller hills, into which the eastern ridge was 



THE HOLY LAND. 



107 



divided. The middle and highest of these was 
properly Moriah. The smaller elevation north of 
this was called Bezetha, and formed the north-east 
part of the city. The lowest of these three eleva- 
tions was on the south, and was called Ophel. 
Ophel formed the south-eastern part of the city. 
It is impossible to identify the site of any particu- 
lar buildings or events either with Bezetha or 
Ophel. 

8. Much is said in Scripture of the gates of 
Jerusalem. It is not possible to determine their 
exact number. In the time of Christ there were 
at least ten. Four gates were on the north. One 
near the north-east corner of the city was called 
"the Old Gate" (Neh. 3: 6). Very near the 
middle of the northern wall was " the Gate of 
Ephraim " (2 Chron. 25 : 23). It communicated 
with the valley which separated Bezetha from Acra. 
Sometimes it was called " the Gate of Benjamin " 
(Jer. 38 : 7). It had these names because the 
road going from it led into the territories of 
Ephraim and Benjamin. The " Corner Gate " also 
opened on the northern side (2 Chron. 26 : 9), 
and is thought to be the same as " the tower of the 
furnaces " (Neh. 3 : 11). The « Yalley Gate " was 
on the west (3 : 13), and opened out of the val- 
ley which separated Acra from Zion, thus leading 
into the valley of Hinnom. It is uncertain whether 
the western wall had any other gate. 

9. Josephus speaks of" the Gate of the Essenes," 
which was probably the same that was called " the 
gate between two walls " (2 Kings 25 : 4.) It 
opened out of the southern wall, and thus commu- 
nicated with Mount Zion on the south. The 
" Gate of the Fountain," was near the south- 



108 



THE HOLY LAND. 



eastern part of the city (Neh. 3 : 15), and was 
near the place where the south-east of Zion joined 
with the southern termination of Ophel. It opened 
into the Tyropceon, or principal yalley within the 
city. Near by it was the pool of Siloam. The 
" Water Gate " directly communicated with the 
temple on the eastern side (Neh. 3 : 26). Through 
this the water used in the temple service was emp- 
tied into the brook Kidron. Close by the north- 
east corner of the temple was the " Sheep Gate " 
(3 : 1), which was so called because the sheep 
sacrificed in the temple were taken through it. 
The "Horse Gate" was also near the Temple (3: 
28). Sometimes this was called the " Prison Gate " 
(12 : 39). Near the north-east corner of the city 
wall was the " Fish Gate " (3 : 3). The fish brought 
to Jerusalem from the sea-coast were probably 
taken through this gate. The book of Nehemiah 
has much to say of the rebuilding of these gates. 
The Bible speaks of other gates, some of which 
probably communicated with the temple within the 
city. It is impossible to determine their localities. 

10. The Bible frequently speaks of the towers 
of Jerusalem. " Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem, 
at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at 
the turning of the wall, and fortified them " (2 
Chron. 26 : 9). It is probable that these towers 
were the same as the " bulwarks " spoken of in 
Scripture (Psalm 48 : 13). Josephus describes the 
towers which existed in the time of Christ. The 
most important was called " Hippicpes," and was 
situated near the " Yalley Gate," in the north-west 
corner of Zion. It was built by Herod the Great 
not many years before Christ, and was named after 
a friend of this king who was killed in battle. It 



THE HOLY LAND. 



109 



was not far from a hundred and fifty feet in height. 
Seen from a distance, it was doubtless a very con- 
spicuous object. The eyes of Jesus and his disci- 
ples must often have rested on this imposing bat- 
tlement. 

11. The tower or castle of Antonio figures con- 
spicuously in the New Testament. Most of the 
maps set it down as being on the hill Bezetha, 
which would have made it north of the temple. 
The account given by Josephus seems to imply 
that it was on the north-west of the temple. It was 
certainly within the area on which the temple stood. 
The castle had all the magnificence of a palace. It 
rose to the height of about ninety feet. At its four 
corners towers rose about seventy feet higher. It 
completely overlooked the temple, and gates and 
passage-ways connected the two buildings. While 
the city was under the Roman government a 
strong garrison was constantly kept in the castle. 

12. The " judgment hall " where Christ was 
brought before Pilate was in the castle of Antonio 
(John 18: 28). This hall was also called the 
" Pretorium " (Mark 15 : 16). The " pavement " 
where Pilate surrendered Christ into the hands of 
the Jews was directly in front of the castle (John 
19 : 13). When the chief captain rescued Paul 
from the Jewish mob, "he commanded him to be 
carried into the castle " of Antonio (Acts 21 : 34). 
From the steps of the castle Paul addressed one of 
his greatest speeches to the enraged mob. It may 
be read in 22d chapter of Acts. 

13. The Old Testament makes mention of the 
towers of " Hananeel " and " Meah." These were 
near the north-east corner of the city, being north 
of the temple and east of the castle of Antonio. 

10 



110 



THE HOLY LAND. 



They are mentioned in connection with ElishaV 
sanctifying of the sheep gates (Neh. 3 : 1). 

14. The Bible says very little of the streets of 
Jerusalem. The " baker's street " is the only one 
called by a particular name (Jer. 37 : 21). Jose- 
phus speaks of " the street of the cheesemongers." 
It would seem from these names that persons of 
the same occupation lived in the same part of the 
city. Mention is made of " the street of the gate 
of the city " (2 Chron. 32 : 6), and also of " the 
street that was before the water gate " (Neh. 8 : 
1). The word street in these instances probably 
meant open places round the gates, where people 
could congregate. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

JERUSALEM CONTINUED. 

1. The Bible makes frequent reference to 
" pools," " cisterns," and " fountains." There were 
many of these in and near Jerusalem. There were 
the pools of " Siloam," of " Solomon," of" Bethes- 
da," of " Hezekiah," the " upper " and the " lower 
pools of Gihon." There were indeed pools in near- 
ly all parts of the Holy Land. Such artificial 
means of procuring a supply of water were indis- 
pensable. There was but one river of any size in 
the country, most of the other streams being dry 
for the greater part of the year. Bain fell only 
in the spring and autumn. During the rainy 
season the " pools " and " cisterns" retained water 
enough to answer the want of the rest of the year. 



THE HOLY LAND. 



Ill 



2. Many pools were necessary to supply so large 
a city as Jerusalem. Most of these were without 
the city walls, and some of them were a consider- 
able distance from the city. The largest and most 
important were the " pools of Solomon," which 
were in or near Bethlehem, some miles from 
Jerusalem. An aqueduct from these brought the 
chief supply of water for the temple. Most 
maps locate the " pool of Bethesda " without the 
wall on the north-east, but its locality cannot be 
determined with any certainty. It is said in the 
New Testament to be near " the sheep market " 
or gate. It is also said that the pool of Bethesda 
had " five porches." These were probably intend- 
ed to shelter persons who came there to bathe. 
" In these (porches) lay a great number of impotent 
folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the mov- 
ing of the water." It was at this pool that Christ 
said to the impotent man, " Rise, take up thy bed 
and walk, and immediately the man was made 
whole" (John 5 : 9). 

3. We learn from Scripture that King Hezekiah 
" made a pool, and a conduit, and brought water 
into the city " (2 Kings 20 : 20). There is good 
reason to think that this pool still exists. Travel- 
lers identify it with a large tank or cistern still in 
use in "the lower city." It will be recollected 
that the region of Mount Acra is now called " the 
lower city." We further read that " Hezekiah 
also stopped up the water-course of Gihon, and 
brought it straight down to the west side of the 
city of David " (2 Chron. 32 : 30). This was the 
" conduit " that led into the pool now called by 
Hezekiah's name. The valley west of Jerusalem 
was sometimes called Gihon. 



112 



THE HOLY LAND. 



4. The two pools called the " upper " and the 
M lower " were in the valley of Hinnom or Gihon. 
We have just seen that the " upper " was that 
which connected with the pool of Hezekiah. The 
" upper pool " was formed in the basin at the head 
of the valley. It was about fifty rods west of 
the north-west corner of the city wall. It was sup- 
plied by the rains which fell upon the adjacent 
hills. It is uncertain whether it had the constant 
supply of a natural fountain. About a half-mile 
further down the valley was the "lower pool." 
This was right abreast of Mount Zion on the west, 
and could not have been much more than twenty 
rods from the wall. It received the overflow of 
the upper pool, and was the less important of the 
two. It is spoken of only by Isaiah (22 : 9). 

5. Near the foot of Ophel was the famous " pool 
of Siloam," sometimes called " Shiloah." It will be 
recollected that the foot of Ophel formed the south- 
eastern part of Jerusalem. It was directly on a 
line with the southern part of Zion. The valley 
of Hinnom, the Tyropoeon, and the valley of Je- 
hoshaphat, met near the pool of Siloam. As in 
Bible times, the water still flows from this pool 
gently southward, losing itself in the soil which it 
irrigates. Hence the remark, " the waters of 
Shiloah that go softly " (Isaiah 8:6). It was by 
this pool that Jesus miraculously restored the 
blind man to sight. Having anointed his eyes, 
m he said unto him, Go wash in the pool of Siloam. 
He went his way, therefore, and washed and came 
seeing " (John 9 : 7). 

6. It has been discovered that the pool of 
Siloam is supplied from the " Fountain of the Vir- 
gin," which is about sixty rods further up the 



THE HOLY LAND. 



113 



valley of Jehoshaphat. It is a deep excavation 
under the western side of the valley. A subterra- 
nean passage leads the water from this fountain to 
the pool of Siloam. This passage runs under 
the ridge Ophel. A few years since, Dr. Robinson 
crawled the entire length of this passage. He 
found it one thousand seven hundred and fifty feet 
in length. The upper part of it is very crooked. 
This traveller thinks the Fountain of the Virgin 
may be the ancient pool of Bethesda. 

7. Modern Jerusalem bears very little resem- 
blance to the J erusalem of Bible times. Its gen- 
erally filthy and decaying condition contrasts 
strongly with its grandeur and opulence when 
Christ walked its streets. Dr. Robinson thinks he 
discovered a small portion of the ancient causeway 
which connected the temple with Solomon's palace ! 
With this exception, nothing whatever of the ar- 
chitecture of the ancient city is known to exist. 
The very ground itself has undergone a change. 
The original soil is covered to the depth of many 
feet with the accumulated rubbish of ages. Dr. 
Robinson says that modern Jerusalem is cleaner 
and better built than most cities of the East. 
Most travellers, however, complain of its filth, 
irregularity, and generally ruinous condition. The 
streets are uneven, and but partially paved ; and 
in many places are so narrow that two loaded 
camels cannot pass each other ! The houses are 
constantly falling to pieces. Everything denotes 
indolence, poverty, and degradation. Jerusalem 
is literally u trodden down of the Gentiles" (Luke 
21: 24). 

8. Modern Jerusalem is in possession of the 
Mahometan Turks. By them it is called Kouds, 

10* 



114 



THE HOLY LAND, 



which means " holy." A high wall surrounds the 
city. Four gates are now in use. On the west is 
the " Bethlehem gate," so called because it opens 
into the road leading to this place. It is also 
called the " J affa gate." It is nearly the same as 
the " corner gate " of the ancient city. On the 
north is the " Damascus gate." It is near by the 
spot of the ancient " Ephraim gate." On the east 
the " St. Stephen's gate " opens into the yalley of 
J ehoshaphat. Tradition locates the martyrdom of 
Stephen near this spot. On the south is " Zion's 
gate." The southern part of Mount Zion is not 
embraced within the walls of the modern city. 
" Zion's gate " opens into this part of Mount Zion. 
Besides these four, there are other gates not now 
in use. 

9. The Mosque of Omar occupies the site of the 
ancient temple. The area of the mosque is nearly 
an eighth of the whole city. Into this neither 
Jew nor Christian is admitted. The Mahometan 
burying-ground is also on Mount Moriah. The 
principal building on Mount Zion is the Armenian 
convent. Near the convent is the residence of the 
Armenian Christians. On the eastern slope of 
Zion is the "Jews' quarter." There are about 
five thousand Jews residing here. Their degrada- 
tion and poverty are appalling. Few of them 
were born within the city. They have come to 
this quarter that they may die in the city of their 
fathers! They are not, however, permitted to 
bury within the city. On Mount Acra is the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is by many 
supposed to be on the site where Christ was cruci- 
fied ; but there is little or no ground for the sup- 
position. The Greek and Koman Catholics live 



THE HOLY LAND. 



115 



in this vicinity. The Turks and Arabs occupy 
Bezetha. 

10. The population of modern Jerusalem is 
about fifteen thousand. The feuds between the 
different races and sects are continual. It is chiefly 
these animosities which give life and activity to the 
city. Of all these classes, the most abject and 
despised are the Jews. Yet Jerusalem in its glory 
was the proud metropolis of this very people ! 



CHAPTER XXII. 

THE ENVIRONS OF JERUSALEM. 

1. Next in importance to Jerusalem itself are 
its environs, " Mountains are round about Jeru- 
salem " (Psalm 125 : 2). Valleys, of course, sep- 
arated the city from these surrounding mountains. 
We have already had occasion to learn something 
of the valleys of Gihon, Hinnom, and J ehoshaphat. 
Many interesting Scripture scenes are associated 
with those localities. The two names of Gihon 
and Hinnom are given to the same general valley, 
which bounds Jerusalem on the west and south. 
Gihon is the name of the upper part of the valley. 
It bounds Acra and most of Zion on the west, and 
may be considered as terminating with " the lower 
pool." The name of Gihon does not appear to be 
given to it in Scripture. It is now called by this 
name because it contains the two pools of Gihon. 

2. In the Old Testament the valley of Hinnom 
generally goes by the longer name, " the valley of 
the son of Hinnom." It is the continuation of the 



116 



THE HOLY LAND. 



valley of Gihon, west and south of the city. " And 
the border went up by the valley of the son of 
Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusites ; the 
same is Jerusalem" (Joshua 15: 8). It will be 
recollected that the Jebusites lived on Mount Zion. 
The sides of the valley of Hinnom are rocky, rough, 
and steep, and as it approaches the valley of Je- 
hoshaphat towards the east, grow deeper and 
deeper. The two valleys meet near the south-east 
corner of Jerusalem. 

3. It was near the juncture of these two valleys 
that the idolatrous Jews worshipped the idols Baal 
and Molech. The place was called Tophet, " which 
is in the valley of the son of Hinnom." They 
practised here the most horrid rites of sacrifice. 
Children were made to pass through the fire, in 
sacrifice to the idols. They burned "their sons 
and their daughters in the fire." Because of these 
abominations, it was declared that Tophet should 
be called " the valley of slaughter" (Jer. 7: 31, 
32). The pious King J osiah abolished these horrid 
sacrifices. "And he defiled Tophet, which is in 
the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man 
might make his son or his daughter to pass through 
the fire to Molech " (2 Kings 23 : 10). 

4. The same king also caused the offal of Jeru- 
salem to be thrown into the valley where the sac- 
rifices to Baal and Molech had been practised. 
In this way he purposed to make the place ever 
after a scene of loathing and disgust to the Jews. 
Worms naturally came with this offal. In order 
to destroy the filth as it collected, fires were kept 
burning continually. Hence the fire and the worms 
were associated. The Scripture phrases, " where 
their worm dieth not, and their fire u not quenched" 



THE HOLY LAND. 



117 



(Mark 9 : 44), were suggested by the nres burning 
constantly in the valley of Hinnom. The Greek 
name for the valley was " Gehenna." This word 
is translated " hell " in the New Testament. The 
phrase "hell-fire," or " Gehenna-fire," literally 
meant the fire burning in the valley. The phrase 
is figuratively used as expressive of punishment. 
It is important to fix in the memory the distinction 
between the literal and the figurative uses of the 
phrase " hell-fire." 

5. Near the place called Tophet is the tradi- 
tional " Aceldama." This is " the field of blood " 
which Judas purchased "with the reward of in- 
iquity" (Acts 1: 18,19). This was also "the 
potter's field." The chief priests bought it "to 
bury strangers in " (Matt. 27 : 7). The " Hill of 
Evil Council " forms the southern wall of the valley 
of Hinnom. It is almost as high as Zion on the 
opposite side of the valley, but the ascent to its top 
is much more gradual. It received its name from 
the tradition that the house of Caiaphas, where 
the Jews took consultation tending the crucifixion 
of Jesus, was on this hill. "Then assembled to- 
gether the chief priests, and the scribes, and the 
elders of the people, unto the palace of the high 
priest, who was called Caiaphas. And they con- 
sulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and 
kill him " (Matt. 26 : 3, 4). On the top of this 
hill are the ruins of a small village. 

6. We have already several times heard some- 
thing of the valley of Jehoshaphat. It is the long 
valley which bounds Jerusalem on the east. In 
Scripture it is called the valley or " brook Kidron" 
(1 Kings 2 : 37). The name of Jehoshaphat is 
never given to it in the Bible. It is said that God 



118 



THE HOLY LAND. 



will judge the heathen in " the valley of Jehosha- 
phat " (Joel 3 : 12). But it is probable the name 
is used in a figurative sense, and there is no reason 
to think that the valley east of Jerusalem was re- 
ferred to. It will be convenient, however, to speak 
of it by its present name, the valley of J ehosha- 
phat. 

7. About a mile north of the city the valley 
bears to the west. A little ways south of the city 
it bears to the east. Where it passes the city it 
runs quite regularly nearly north and south. It 
is by far the greatest valley near Jerusalem. Op- 
posite the city it is very deep, and can be crossed 
only on bridges, or causeways. At its bottom is a 
deep gulley, or water-course. This is the "brook 
Kidron," though no water runs here except in the 
rainy season. The sides of the valley are very 
rocky and precipitous. Numerous tombs or sepul- 
chres have been excavated in these rocky sides. 
In some places a few olive-trees continue to grow. 
In passing out of Jerusalem, Jesus often crossed 
this valley. 

8. On the eastern side of the valley is the tra- 
ditional tomb of the Virgin Mary. It is directly 
opposite St. Stephen's gate and the ancient Beze- 
tha. A little further south is the garden of 
Gethsemane. This is a small plot enclosed by a 
wall. Within the enclosure are several very 
ancient olive-trees. It is very probable that the 
real garden of Gethsemane was near this place. 
It is forever to be remembered as the scene of 
Christ's agony. Still further south, the tomb of 
Absalom and Zechariah are on the same side of 
the valley. They are opposite the south-eastern 
part of the area of the Mosque of Omar, or site of 



THE HOLY LAND. 



119 



the ancient temple. There is no probability, how- 
ever, that these Scripture persons were entombed 
here. We have seen that the " Fountain of the 
Virgin" is on the western side of the valley, still 
further down. Opposite this fountain is the vil- 
lage of Siloam, on the eastern side. It is a 
wretched place, many of the inhabitants actually 
living in the adjoining sepulchres. We have be- 
fore learned that the valleys of Jehoshaphat and 
Hinnom meet a little way south of the city. 
Where the valleys thus meet was " The King's 
Garden." It was a level plot of several acres, 
made into gardens, and watered by the stream of 
Siloam. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

MOUNT OF OLIVES. — JERICHO. 

1. East of Jerusalem, and just across the valley 
of Jehoshaphat, rises Olivet, or the Mount of 
Olives. It is three hundred feet higher than the 
site of the Mosque of Omar and the ancient tem- 
ple, and a hundred feet higher than the highest 
point of the city. The Mount of Olives is a ridge 
two miles in length, running from north to south, 
parallel to the valley of Jehoshaphat. It may be 
said to form the eastern wall of this valley. 
Hence the tomb of the Virgin Mary, the garden 
of Gethsemane, and the tombs of Absalom and 
Zechariah, may be considered as the western slope 
of the mountain. 

2. There are three separate peaks to the moun- 



120 



THE HOLY LAND. 



tain ridge. The middle one is the proper Mount 
of Olives. The southern peak is the lowest, and 
is called the " Mount of Offence." It is so called 
because Solomon built places here for the idolatrous 
-worship of Ashtoreth, god of the Zidonians, of 
Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and Milcom, god of 
the Ammonites. Afterwards, King Josiah " broke 
in pieces the images," and thus abolished the idola- 
trous worship (2 Kings 23 : 13, 14). The Mount 
of Offence is about opposite the place where the 
valley of Hinnom joins the valley of Jehoshaphat. 

3. The tops of the middle and the northern 
peaks command an extensive prospect of the sur- 
rounding country. On the south and east may be 
seen the gloomy region between Bethlehem and 
the Dead Sea. The sea itself also comes distinct- 
ly into view. Easfc- and north may be seen the 
sandy plain of J ericho. Further on, the eye traces 
the valley of the Jordan. This valley is traced 
by the border of green which fringes the river 
sides. Across the J ordan the mountains of Gilead 
loom up conspicuously. Along the east of the 
river and the Dead Sea the mountains of Moab 
bound the horizon. It was from Nebo, one of the 
peaks of these mountains, that Moses beheld the 
promised land. A panoramic view of Jerusalem 
may be had from the Mount of Olives. The whole 
city gradually slopes from east to west ; and to a 
person on this eminence spreads itself, as it were, 
beneath his feet. Yet the distance is too great to 
admit of a very distinct view of anything more 
than the tops of the buildings. 

4. The Mount of Olives is associated with an 
affecting event in the life of David, King of Israel. 
Before his flight from his treacherous son Absalom, 



THE HOLY LAND. 



121 



he went to the top of this mount to worship God. 
"And David went up by the ascent of the Mount 
of Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his 
head covered ; and he went barefoot : and all the 
people that was with him covered every man his 
head, and they went up, weeping as they went up " 
(2 Sam. 15 : 30). Yery many touching events in 
the life of Christ are forever associated with the 
same mountain. It was from this spot that he 
warned his disciples of the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem, and of the coming woes of the unbelieving 
Jews (Matt. 24). It was to this mount that 
he retired after partaking of the last supper 
(Matt. 26 : 30). Indeed, the Mount of Olives was 
his frequent resort. 

5. A road from St. Stephen's gate, across the 
valley, leads round the south side of the mountain 
to Bethany. This village was on the eastern slope, 
and was " fifteen furlongs," or two miles, from 
Jerusalem (John 11 : 18). Here was the house 
of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha 
(verse 1). Jesus was on terms of the warmest 
friendship with this family (verse 5). He often 
found retirement here from the noise and strife of 
the city. It was the Lazarus of this house that 
Christ raised from the dead (verses 43, 44). " The 
house of Simon the leper " was also in Bethany. 
It was in this house that " there came unto him 
a woman having an alabaster box of very precious 
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at 
meat " (Matt. 26 : 7). A village still exists on 
the site of Bethany. 

6. On his way from Jericho to Bethany, Christ 
stopped in a village called Bethphage (Luke 19 : 
29). Here was found the colt on which he rode 



122 



THE HOLY LAND. 



triumphantly into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1 — 11). 
The exact site of this village cannot now be deter- 
mined. The Church of the Ascension is supposed 
to mark the scene of Christ's ascension into heaven. 
The idea is, however, conjectural. Considering 
its hallowed associations, no mountain is more 
sacred than the Mount of Olives. 

7. About . fourteen miles from Jerusalem is the 
site of ancient Jericho. The road " down from 
Jerusalem to J ericho " runs a little to the north 
of east. It passes through one of the most 
gloomy regions in any country. For much of the 
way rugged, lofty, and precipitous rocks wall it in 
on both sides. It was on this road that Christ 
lays the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10 : 
30 — 37). No region could afford the thief and 
robber a more inviting haunt. Even at the pres- 
ent day the road is infested with banditti. Not 
many years since, an English traveller was stripped 
and left wounded in this gloomy defile. Christ 
could have selected no more appropriate place as 
the scene of the parable. 

8. The road leads into a large plain, on which 
Jericho was built. This plain is properly a west- 
ern extension of the J ordan valley. It is from ten 
to twelve miles wide from east to west. It reaches 
to the shores of the Dead Sea on the south. On 
the west and north it is walled in by high and 
rocky mountains. This was anciently called the 
plain of Jericho. In point of productiveness the 
soil of Egypt hardly excels this plain. It is irri- 
gated by all the rains which fall on the adjacent 
mountains. The heat is greater than in any other 
part of Palestine. In Bible times it was covered 
with groves and gardens, and palm-trees were 



THE HOLY LAND. 



123 



numerous. Jericho itself was called " The City of 
Palm-trees " (Deut. 34 : 3). Scattered over the 
plain are the ruins of aqueducts that were probably 
intended to irrigate the soil. The hand of industry 
no longer avails itself of the natural productive- 
ness of the plain. Hence a large portion of it is 
now a desert waste. 

9. Nothing whatever remains of ancient Jericho. 
There is no certainty that the present small village 
occupies its site. It is certain that the city was 
on the western part of the plain. There are 
numerous ruins near the mountains, two miles 
west of the modern village. There is much rea- 
son to think that these ruins mark the spot where 
the ancient city stood. A peculiar interest attaches 
to ancient J ericho. It was the first city conquered 
by the Israelites on entering the Holy Land. 
Spies were sent into the city, who were secreted in 
the house of Rahab. The information thus ob- 
tained of the fears and expectations of the inhab- 
itants was of much assistance to Joshua and his 
army. The city was conquered and destroyed, 
and the inhabitants, excepting the household of 
Rahab, were put to the sword. The particulars 
of this conquest may be read in the first six 
chapters of the book of Joshua. 

10. Having destroyed the place, Joshua said, 
" Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth 
up and buildeth this city Jericho" (6: 26). In 
spite of this curse, the city was rebuilt. Long after 
this, David said to his ambassadors, " Tarry at 
Jericho until your beards be grown " (2 Sam. 10 : 
5). These ambassadors had been grievously in- 
sulted by the Ammonites. In the days of Ahab 
" did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho " (1 Kings 



124 



THE HOLY LAND. 



16 : 34). It became the home of the prophets 
(2 Kings 2 : 4, 5). "The men of Jericho" are 
spoken of as aiding in the rebuilding of Jerusalem 
after the Captivity (Neh. 3:2). 

10. Herod the Great conquered and sacked 
Jericho, but afterwards greatly adorned the city. 
He built here a beautiful palace, in which he re- 
sided probably in the winter. He died in this 
palace. During this period Jericho had a hippo- 
drome and an amphitheatre. This was in the time 
of Christ. It had then become the second city of 
importance in Judea. Christ visited Jericho once, 
when he restored the blind beggar to sight : " And 
all the people when they saw it gave praise unto 
God " (Luke 18 : 35—43). While here he resided 
in the house of Zaccheus. The account of Christ's 
intercourse with Zaccheus is very graphic and 
beautiful (19 : 1 — 9). It is probable that Jericho 
received its final overthrow from the Mahomet- 
ans. 

11. A little way north of the probable site of 
Jericho is the mountain Quarantana. It rises ab- 
ruptly to the height of about fifteen hundred feet. 
Tradition has selected this mountain as the scene 
of Christ's forty days' temptation. It is thought 
that from "the pinnacle" of this elevation the 
tempter showed him ' 1 all the kingdoms of the 
world, and the glory of them" (Matt. 4:8). 
There are no facts to justify this tradition. Near 
the foot of the mountain is the " fountain of 
Elisha." It is so called because the scene of 
Elisha's miracle, whereby its heretofore bitter waters 
" were healed " (2 Kings 2 : 19—22). The waters 
of this fountain form a perpetual stream, and con- 
tinue to irrigate much of the plain of J ericho. 



THE HOLY LAND. 



125 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

THE JORDAN. DEAD SEA. 

1. A journey of six miles east, across the plain 
of Jericho, brings us to the river Jordan. The 
long valley through which this river runs is some- 
times called the " Valley of Depression." In the 
north, by the base of the Lebanon mountains, it 
rises five hundred feet above the level of the Med- 
iterranean Sea. In the vicinity of the Dead Sea 
it has been estimated at thirteen hundred feet below 
it ! So great a depression below the surface of the 
ocean is nowhere else known. This immense valley 
contains the waters of Merom, the Sea of Galilee, 
the Jordan, and the Dead Sea. 

2. We have before had a description of the 
course of the Jordan to the place where it enters 
the Sea of Galilee. From the place where it leaves 
this sea to where it empties into the Dead Sea, is 
a distance of sixty miles. Through this country 
runs the main bulk of the river. Till within a few 
years, very little was known of the greater part of 
this region. Finally, Lieutenant Lynch, of the 
United States navy, surveyed the route. The 
course of the river is so crooked that in making 
the distance of sixty miles it runs about two hun- 
dred miles ! The Dead Sea is a thousand feet 
lower than the Sea of Galilee, and the average de- 
scent of the river is five feet to the mile. Lieu- 
tenant Lynch discovered twenty-seven rapids. The 
passage of many of these is attended with great 
danger. 

3. Much of the Jordan valley consists of these 

11* 



126 



THE HOLY LAND. 



depressions, one within another. The lowest de- 
pression is the river's channel, which in many places 
is very narrow and rocky. Here the rapid current 
dashes against the rocky sides with fearful violence. 
As the river approaches its termination, its chan- 
nel widens, and its current is less rapid and tumult- 
uous. Along the shores, where there is a soil, 
there is a border of trees, bushes, and plants. 
Lions, and other wild beasts, found shelter in this 
dense growth, in Bible times. Sometimes the rise 
of the river completely inundated this margin, and 
of course drove the wild inhabitants to the higher 
plain. This circumstance gives a meaning to the 
prophet's comparison when he predicts the divine 
judgment to come upon Edom. " Behold he shall 
come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jar- 
dan " (Jeremiah 49 : 19). 

4. The resident Arabs are acquainted with 
several fords of the Jordan, only three of which 
are known to travellers. One is near the ruins of 
the ancient city of Tarichara, which is not far from 
where the river leaves the Sea of Galilee. There 
is another ford near Scythopolis, which is on the 
site of the Old Testament Bathshean. This ford 
is fifteen miles further south. A third ford con- 
nects with the road from Jericho. The depth and 
width of the Jordan are very different in different 
places, and also in different seasons. Its average 
width may be considered as less than a hundred 
yards, and its average depth may be set at nine 
feet. 

5. The opinion once prevailed that the Jordan, 
like the Nile, had its annual inundations, when it 
overflowed all its banks. There are certainly no 
such inundations in the present age. This opin- 



THE HOLY LAND. 



127 



ion probably arose from a wrong interpretation of 
certain passages of Scripture. It is said that 
" Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of 
harvest" (Joshua 3: 15). A similar statement 
appears in the account of the crossing of the river 
by the army of David. " These are they that went 
over Jordan in the first month, when it had over- 
flowed all his banks" (1 Chron. 12: 15). Says 
Dr. Robinson, "The original Hebrew expresses 
nothing more than that the Jordan was full (or 
filled), up to all its banks, meaning its channel." 

6. It is hardly possible that there can be any 
sudden rising of this river. The great bulk of its 
waters come from the northern mountains. As 
these waters all pass through the Sea of Galilee, 
the sea acts as a sort of reservoir to retain any 
sudden increase. Hence, below this sea the rise 
of the river must be gradual and moderate. For 
the same reason, the rise of the Jordan is never 
during, but always after, the rainy season. Before 
the increase of water from the sea can cause any 
great rise in the river, the rainy season is over. 
Hence the overflowing its banks was during " all 
the time of the harvest," and the harvest came 
after the rainy season. The only river of any im- 
portance flowing into the Jordan is the Jabbok. 
It comes from the mountains of Gilead on the east. 
It empties into the Jordan about midway between 
the two seas. The other streams which enter the 
Jordan are small, and for most of the year are 
dry. 

7. Many striking events recorded in the Old 
Testament are associated with the Jordan. It was 
crossed by the Israelites on first entering the prom- 
ised land. It was as sacred in the eye of a Jew 



128 



THE HOLY LAND. 



as the Nile wag to the Egyptian. To the Chris- 
tian the J ordan is hallowed as the scene of the 
Saviour's baptism (Matt. 3 : 13—16). The exact 
place of this event cannot be ascertained, but it 
is known to have been on the eastern bank. It 
was probably near the ford leading to Jericho. 
No pilgrim fails to bathe in its waters. 

8. The waters of the Jordan are received into 
the Dead Sea. This sea is one of the most re- 
markable bodies of water in the known world. In 
Scripture it is called by several names. It is 
spoken of as " the vale of Siddim which is the salt 
sea" (Gen. 14: 3). It is called "the sea of the 
plain" (Deut. 3 : 17). It is also named "the 
east sea " (Joel 2 : 20). It is the largest body of 
water in Palestine. Till within a few years its 
size has been greatly over-estimated. It is about 
forty miles in length from north to south, and from 
eight to ten miles in width. Its average depth is 
very great. In one place it has been sounded to 
the depth of thirteen hundred feet. The southern 
part of it is comparatively shallow. 

9. Every traveller speaks of the desolation and 
stillness of the region of the Dead Sea. According 
to some estimates, its surface is thirteen hundred 
feet below the ocean. Possibly this is an exagger- 
ation, yet it seems sunk in a vast cauldron. Pre- 
cipitous and rocky mountains form its eastern and 
western sides. On the west, these mountains rise 
in many places nearly perpendicular. Some of 
them are fifteen hundred feet high. On the eastern 
side, the rise of the mountains is a little more 
gradual. Here they attain the height of twenty- 
five hundred feet, which is about half a mile. On 
both sides these mountains are wild, sterile, and 



THE HOLY LAND. 



129 



forbidding. In a few places there are fountains 
of fresh water, by the side of which there is always 
fertility and verdure. In all other places the 
prospect is that of a solitary waste. 

10. The height of the mountains which enclose 
the sea generally prevents the winds from ruffling 
the surface. A traveller says that it seems like 
a " vast cauldron of metal, fused, but motionless." 
For eight months in the year it receives the burn- 
ing rays of an unclouded sun. The heat thus en- 
gendered is almost intolerable. But three travel- 
lers have been known to attempt its navigation, 
and one of these died in consequence. The heat 
is such as to induce debility and fevers. The most 
frightful stories once were credited of the horrors 
of this sea. It was believed that nothing could 
live near it. It was said that birds attempting to 
fly across it dropped dead in its waters. Such 
stories are wholly imaginary. It is true, however, 
that nothing can live within it. Its water is clear, 
and bitter in the extreme, and is Salter than the 
ocean. Every traveller speaks of its remarkable 
buoyancy, and those who can swim nowhere else 
float easily on the Dead Sea. 

11. The extreme heat causes a great evapora- 
tion. This evaporation leads to deposits of salt 
along its shores. The resident Arabs procure this 
for family use. The evaporation is so great as to 
exhaust all the waters flowing into it, and, not- 
withstanding it receives the Jordan, it has no outlet. 
Large quantities of asphaltum are found in va- 
rious places. Hence the Roman name, the " Lake 
of Asphaltites." In many places may be seen 
large masses of salt. There are also sulphur 



130 



THE HOLY LAND. 



springs and warm fountains. Everything indicates 
the appearance at some period of volcanoes. 

12. The western shore of the Dead Sea was the 
eastern boundary-line of the ancient kingdom of 
Judah. Some of its localities are spoken of in the 
Scripture history. The site of the ancient Engedi 
is near the middle of the western coast. When 
David fled from the wrath of Saul, he went " and 
dwelt in the strong-holds at Engedi" (1 Sam. 23 : 
29). It was here that Saul fell into the power of 
David. The story of David's forbearance is among 
the most affecting and beautiful given in the Bible. 
It may be read in the twenty-fourth chapter of 
1 Samuel. Bands of Moabites and Ammonites, 
coming up against Jehoshaphat, are said to have 
come by the way of Engedi (2 Chron. 20 : 1, 2). 
Twelve or thirteen miles further south, is the high 
rock whereon stood the ancient fortress of Masada. 
This fortress was renowned in the time of Christ. 
It was strengthened by Herod the Great as a 
place of secure retreat. The dark valleys sur- 
rounding it were almost impassable. It could be 
reached easily only by two paths, cut in the rock. 
This fortress was among the last conquests of the 
Romans in Palestine. 

13. Nearly opposite the site of this fortress, a 
peninsula comes from the eastern side. It reaches 
within two miles of the western shore. South of 
this peninsula the water does not average more 
than twelve feet in depth. The southern shore is 
a marsh, and is very shallow. It is believed that 
the southern part of the Dead Sea covers the sites 
of " the cities of the plain," which were destroyed 
because of their wickedness. These cities were 
Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, and Admah. The 



THE HOLY LAND. 



131 



account of their destruction is given in the nine- 
teenth chapter of Genesis. The prediction " no 
man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man 
dwell in it " (Jer. 49 : 18), has been fulfilled to the 
letter. The volcanic appearance of the whole 
region harmonizes with the account of the miracu- 
lous destruction of the ancient cities. Zoar, which 
at the intercession of Lot was spared, is supposed to 
have been on what is now the south-east shore of 
the sea. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

ADJACENT COUNTRIES. 

1. Besides the localities embraced within the 
strict limits of Palestine, the Bible makes mention 
of many countries both adjacent and remote. 
Many hundred miles to the east were Nineveh, and 
Babylon, and the Chaldean plains. To the south- 
west, the north-east corner of Egypt almost con- 
nected with the land of the Philistines. The book 
of Acts and Paul's Epistles make frequent allu- 
sion to the countries of Asia Minor, Greece, and 
Italy, and to the islands of the Mediterranean. 
To give the most general sketch of the several 
localities embraced in these more distant countries 
would require far more space than this book can 
afford. A brief allusion to some of the countries 
immediately adjacent to Palestine seems necessary 
to give something of completeness to a description 
of the Holy Land. 

2. An immense desert region, stretching from 



132 



THE HOLY LAND. 



the Nile and the Red Sea a thousand miles to the 
east, bounded Palestine on the south. Its present 
name is Arabia. That portion of Arabia which 
touches Egypt and the Red Sea was the scene of 
many remarkable events in the early history of the 
Israelites. This was the wilderness where Moses 
and the Israelites wandered forty years, while on 
their way from Egyptian bondage to take posses- 
sion of the land of promise. Where the country 
juts into the north-east part of the Red Sea, were 
Sinai and Horeb, where Glod gave " the law " to his 
chosen people. After the conquest of the Holy 
Land, that portion of Arabia which was contigu- 
ous on the south and east came to be inhabited by 
nations who were generally hostile to the Israelites. 
These nations were the Amalekites, Edomites, 
Moabites, Amorites, and Ammonites. 

3. "The Amalekites dwelt in the land of the 
south" (Num. 13: 29). Their territory touched 
the southern part of Judea, and the north-eastern 
border of Egypt. They were always among the 
most bitter enemies of the Israelites. They were 
the first to attack the Israelites after they had 
crossed the Red Sea, on their escape from Egypt. 
" Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the 
way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt ; how 
he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost 
of thee, and even all that were feeble behind thee, 
when thou wast faint and weary " (Deut. 25 : IT, 
18). As a retribution for their conduct in thus 
disturbing the Israelites, Saul, at a much later 
period, led an immense army into their country, 
and destroyed the greater number of the Amale- 
kites (1 Sam. 15 : 7). At a still later period 
" David smote the land, and left neither man nor 



THE HOLY LAND. 



133 



woman alive " (27 : 9). Afterwards " five hun- 
dred men " of the tribe of Simeon " smote the 
rest of the Amalekites that were escaped" (1 
Chron. 4 : 43). 

4. East of the Amalekites, and south of the 
Dead Sea, was Idumaea, or the land of the Edom- 
ites. Edom was the same as Esau, and the Edom- 
ites were the descendants of Esau, the brother of 
Jacob, and son of Isaac. The original name of 
the country of the Edomites was Mount Seir. It 
received its name of Idumaea from the Greeks and 
Romans. The nation gradually extended its 
borders south and east. It had ports and an 
extensive commerce on the Red Sea. The Edom- 
ites were always at a feud with the Israelites. 
Their country was conquered by David, who " put 
garrisons in Edom, throughout all Edom put he 
garrisons • all they of Edom became David's ser- 
vants" (2 Sam. 8 : 14). Petra, called in Scripture 
" Joktheel," was the chief city of Edom, and it 
was one of the most wonderful cities of the world. 
Many of the dwellings and temples were cut out 
of the solid rock ! Hence they were called " eagles' 
nests." Till within a few years nothing was known 
of the ruins of this singular city. The temples and 
sepulchres which the Edomites cut in the rocks 
still exist, but the place is a solitude. The whole 
land of Idumaea is one of the most difficult of 
access in the known world. 

5. East of the Dead Sea, and north of Edom, 
was the land of the Moabites. Moab was the son 
of Lot, and the Moabites were his descendants. 
They are often mentioned in connection with the 
Israelites. At one time, u the Lord strengthened 
Eglon, the King of Moab, against Israel," and 



134 



THE HOLY LAND. 



" the children of Israel served Eglon, the King of 
Moab, eighteen years" (Judges 3 : 12, 14). At a 
later period Saul made war on the Moabites, and 
David made them tributaries to his kingdom. 
"The Moabites became David's servants, and 
brought gifts " (2 Sam. 8:2). Mention is made 
of the pride of Moab. " We have heard of the 
pride of Moab ; he is very proud " (Isaiah 16 : 6). 
The destruction of Moab is the theme of many 
fearful prophecies. It may be added that the 
high mountains which are seen on the eastern side 
of the Dead Sea are the mountains of Moab. 
Nebo, or Pisgah, from which Moses beheld the 
promised land, was one of these elevations. Nebo 
is probably in the latitude of the northern shore of 
the Dead Sea. 

6. North of Moab, and east of the lower Jordan, 
was the land of the Amorites. When the Israel- 
ites were to cross the Jordan to take possession of 
the promised land, it was necessary to pass 
through the land of the Amorites. This land was 
then under the dominion of two kings, Sihon, King 
of Heshbon, and Og, King of Bashan. Sihon re- 
fusing to let the Israelites pass through his terri- 
tory, a battle ensued. "And Israel smote him 
with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land 
from Arnon to Jabbok " (JNTum. 21 : 24). Soon 
after, the Israelites fought Og, the other Amorite 
king, " and they possessed his land " (verse 35). 
The territory thus taken from the Amorites was 
given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half- 
tribe of Manasseh. The Amorites were almost 
constantly at war with the Israelites. Some of the 
severest battles described in the Old Testament 
history took place between the two nations. 



THE HOLY LAND. 



135 



The land of the Amorites contained the mountains 
of Gilead, which form the eastern wall of Palestine 
"beyond Jordan," from Mount Hermon to the 
mountains of Moab. Gilead was famed for rich 
pastures. 

7. The territory possessed by the Ammonites 
was east of the land of the Amorites. They had 
formerly possessed the country between the Jabbok 
and Arnon rivers along the Jordan, but had 
been dispossessed of it by the Amorites. This 
was the territory divided among the three tribes 
east of the Jordan. To regain the land from the 
Israelites which had been taken from them by 
the Amorites, the Ammonites went to war. But 
Jephthah •« smote them from Aroer, even till thou 
come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto 
the plain of the vineyards, with a very great 
slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were 
subdued before the children of Israel " (Judges 
11 : 33). At a later period the Ammonites were 
defeated by Saul. Still later they provoked the 
enmity of David by affronting his ambassadors. 
David, in retaliation, led an army against them, and 
subdued both them and their allies. The Ammo- 
nites aided Nebuchadnezzar in his wars against the 
Jews. It may be added that Molech was the god 
of the Ammonites. It was for the worship of 
this god that Solomon built the " high places " 
on what was called the " Mount of Offence." 

8. It must constantly be borne in mind that the 
territorial limits of the warlike nations south and 
east of Palestine, were even more uncertain and 
fluctuating than the boundaries within this country. 
For instance, it is impossible to make even a gene- 
ral statement of the boundary between the nations 



136 



THE HOLY LAND. 



of the Amorites and the Ammonites. Besides, 
this line of separation was very different at different 
periods in the history of the two countries. At 
one time the Ammonites had possession of a large 
territory by the J ordan, and at a later period the 
same territory was in possession of the Amo- 
rites. All through the greater part of the Old 
Testament, we find accounts of the wars between 
the Israelites and the nations occupying the adja- 
cent countries. Frequently these nations were 
found united for the purpose of bringing great 
numbers against their common enemy, the Jews. 
On one great occasion Joshua fought a confederate 
host, so large as to seem " even as the sand that is 
upon the sea-shore in multitude " (Joshua 11 : 4). 
Though sometimes defeated, the Israelites were 
generally the conquerors in these wars. In the 
time of the prophets numerous prophecies were 
directed against the enemies of Israel. Finally, 
they entirely disappeared from history. In the 
time of Christ but few of the nations so conspicu- 
ous in the Old Testament wars were still in exist- 
ence. 



QUESTIONS. 



CHAPTER I. 

1. What is spoken of under several names ? What is 
this land generally called? Why has it received this 
name ? Of what was it made the residence ? Of what the 
place ? Of what else ? Of what particular events was it 
made the place? Of what other events? Of what are 
these things good reasons ? 

2. What name is the most common ? What further is 
said of it ? From whom received ? Where did the Philis- 
tines reside? What were they, and by whom known? 
Hence what ? Where does the name also appear ? How 
will it be most convenient to speak of the country ? 

3. What is the first name given in the Bible ? Of what 
was Canaan first ? Of whom was he the son, and grand- 
son ? After the confusion at Babel, what? To whom fell 
the country we are to describe? How was it divided? 
Where does this name appear frequently ? 

4. What is the country also called ? What is said of 
the name Israel ? What was this people ? What is said of 
the name Jesus? What is said of the country occupied by 
the Canaanites ? What did the Israelites do ? Hence what 
name? 

5. What other name is mentioned ? What is said of the 
Israelites ? What is said of each tribe ? What of Judah ? 
To what was the tribe of Judah destined ? What followed ? 
What further is stated ? What is the country now often 
called? 

6. Is there still another name ? Of whom was the land 

12* 



138 



QUESTIONS. 



to be an inheritance ? To whom promised ? What is add- 
ed ? Where does the name appear ? 

7. Where is Palestine located? What is said of the 
western side of Palestine ? Of its northern side ? Of its 
eastern side ? Of its southern side ? What further is said 
of the region south of Palestine? What is its modern 
name? How, then, is Palestine bounded? 

8. What is said of Palestine as compared with other 
countries? In what other respect does it seem small? 
What is its extreme length ? What is its greatest width ? 
Its average width ? What is its area ? What must be 
remembered? How does Palestine compare with New 
Hampshire ? In what particulars are they alike ? 

9. What places are mentioned in the Bible ? What is 
said of Jerusalem ? What as related to the places just enu- 
merated ? In what direction was Babylon, and how far 
distant ? In what direction Nineveh ? How of Antioch ? 
Of Tarsus ? Of Ephesus ? Of Athens ? Of Rome ? Of 
Egypt ? What is said about reaching these places ? What 
will greatly aid the student of the Bible? In what 
respect ? 

10. How far is Palestine from Massachusetts ? How as 
compared with England ? What is its direction from Mas- 
sachusetts ? What is said of its latitude ? 



CHAPTER n. 

1. What is said of the political divisions of Palestine? 
What of its divisions while the land of Canaan? The lo- 
cality of these divisions ? What is probable ? Who were 
the Phoenicians ? What tribes were in the south ? What 
tribe occupied the middle? Who were east of the Jor- 
dan? What of the Philistines? What is said of these 
names ? What is said of the connection between these 
tribes and the Israelites ? 

2. When did new divisions take place? How many 
tribes of Israel? Their names? What of the tribe of 
Joseph ? What about the assignment of territory ? What 
about the tribe of Manasseh ? What about the half-tribe 
of Manasseh ? 

3. What tribes had allotments in the north ? What in 
the south? In the middled What east of the Jordan? 



QUESTIONS. 139 

What is said about remembering these names and locali- 
ties? When did the Israelites enter the Holy Land? When 
did Solomon become King of Israel ? How long between 
the two events ? What of the history of this period ? 

4. What took place under David ? What under Reho- 
boam ? Where was this ? What of the ten tribes ? What 
of the two ? What followed ? 

5. How was Palestine divided in the time of Christ? 
What were these provinces ? What of Galilee ? Of Judea ? 
Of Samaria? What is said of Samaria and the coast? 
What of the plain ? Which was the largest province, and 
which the smallest ? What about the narrative parts of 
the New Testament ? What may be remembered ? 

6. What of the country east of the Jordan ? Where are 
allusions made to it ? How spoken of? Its name in the 
time of Christ ? How divided ? Among these were what ? 
What of Decapolis ? 

7. What was north of Galilee ? What is said of these 
regions ? What are. they ? What have we seen ? What 
of their territory? Of the conquests of Israel? What 
may commence with Phoenicia ? 

8. What is to be borne in mind? What of modern 
boundary-lines ? What are seldom distinct ? What is said 
of maps. 

9. What is said of the general character of the Holy 
Land? The first feature ? The second? The third? The 
fourth ? What may be added ? 

10. How is Palestine spoken of in the Bible ? What is 
meant ? How is the land particularly spoken of? What 
about population ? What of the present condition of the 
country ? What have made the change ? What is needed ? 



CHAPTER m. 

1. How do travellers usually reach the Holy Land? 
What is the first glimpse? What have we seen? Yet 
what ? What is added ? What is a good introduction to 
a description of Palestine ? 

2. In sailing towards this region what do we discover ? 
What on the south ? What of this latitude ? What of the 
coast north of Tyre ? What of the plain for this distance ? 
What of the plain's surface? Occasionally what? How 



140 



QUESTIONS. 



is it sometimes ? How in other places ? What as a gene- 
ral thing ? 

3. What may we also observe? What of its width? 
In other places what ? What are frequent ? How with 
some of these? What of the boundaries of the plain? 
What is the average width ? 

4. What does the traveller notice ? Many of these isl- 
ands are near what ? For what do they serve ? What 
of the frequent indentures ? What does a mere glance 
show ? What is added ? What of its facilities ? Of its 
position ? What does history show ? Of what was it the 
seat ? The name of the country described ? 

5. What of a land tour through Phoenicia ? What is 
in the north ? How known in the Bible ? Who were the 
Arvadites ? What of them ? What did they do ? How 
was the city built ? What of their elevation ? What of 
the population ? 

6. What do we find south of Aradus ? Who were the 
Ar kites ? What of their city ? Of its ruins ? 

7. What do we next reach ? What is this ? Where is 
its site ? How situated ? What of the mountain ? For 
what is Byblus famed ? What of its present condition ? 

8. What city comes next ? How was this city known ? 
What is uncertain ? What is supposed ? The ground of 
the supposition? What is Beirut now? Of what the 
centre ? What is it on a small scale ? What of travellers 
going to Palestine ? Of what is Beirut the home ? 

9. What is said of the appearance of Beirut? How 
bounded ? How located ? What does it face ? What of 
the ground ? What is outside of the city ? What view is 
had? What of the mountain scenery? What is said of 
its history ? What is added ? How in some instances ? 
What happened once ? What of its eventful experience ? 
What was it at one period? Why is Beirut worthy of 
particular mention ? What of the roads ? 

10. What of the routes south of Beirut ? How in some 
places? Occasionally what? What of the route as a 
whole ? What is said of the plain ? Of the whole coun- 
try ? How is it farther south ? What of a promontory ? 
What is on the promontory side? Its name ? 



QUESTIONS. 



141 



CHAPTER IV. 

1. What is Sidon called? What of this name at first? 
Whence the name Phoenicia ? Whence the name Zidon ? 
What of its antiquity? Of other cities? What of Ho- 
mer? What of Sidon and the Israelites? What were 
they never able to do? For what was Sidon famous? 
Of what the seat ? For what particularly distinguished ? 
What about the fine arts ? 

2. When and by whom was Sidon conquered ? When 
and by whom next ? How was it in the time of Christ ? 
What of its power at this period ? Of what are we in- 
formed? Of what not informed? What is said of an 
apostle ? What of buildings ? What of the streets ? Of 
the harbor ? What of the water ? What does the city 
still have ? What is said of the city and plain ? What 
abounds ? The present population ? 

3. Of what is the traveller anxious ? What city is this ? 
Where situated? What have we seen? What of the 
route between Sidon and Tyre? What of the plain? 
What of the mountains? What is said of its surface? 
Of its soil ? What is observed ? How about the height 
of the mountains ? What of their tops ? What of vil- 
lages ? What of the route further north ? 

4. What is seen not far from Sidon ? Near what are 
these ruins ? What is it called in the New Testament ? 
For what distinguished ? What is added of the prophet ? 

5. What is said of the traveller entering Tyre ? What 
does he not forget ? What does he recollect ? What call 
to mind ? Of what reminded ? 

6. What is believed? If so, what? What did it 
become? What of its streets? Of foreign products? 
What is said of its ships and mariners ? What did Tyre 
do ? What cities are named ? From what did Tyre ob- 

- tain wealth? What of Britain? Of the resources of 
other lands generally? What were the merchants of 
Tyre called ? Its traffickers ? What was the city called ? 
Of what do we read ? What is added ? 

7. What is said of the site of Tyre? Of its length and 
width ? How far from the main land ? Tyre is not what ? 
What is said of the isthmus? Why was the causeway 



142 



QUESTIONS. 



built ? What is said of the deep sands ? What is the pres- 
ent condition of the harbor ? What is said of the ruins ? 

8. What was Tyre in the time of Joshua ? In the time 
of David? Of whom does the Bible make particular 
mention ? Of whom was Hiram a contemporary ? What 
of the relation between the two kings? What did Hiram 
do ? What did Solomon in return ? 

9. How is Tyre renowned? After other cities were 
conquered, what ? What of its withstanding the King of 
Babylon ? How did it resist Alexander ? How long did 
it resist ? What was the final result ? When was this ? 
W r hat is said of Tyre in the time of Christ ? What of its 
importance then ? What was it still ? What are We 
informed ? By whom else visited ? 



CHAPTER V. 

1. What did the Tyrians greatly abuse? What is said 
of its opulence ? What of the people ? How rule their 
colonies ? What was their insolence felt to be ? Some- 
times what? What of the prophets? What was de- 
clared? How was Tyre to become? What to other 
nations? What is said of the enemies of Tyre? What 
further was predicted ? 

2. On entering the peninsula, what do we have ? What 
do we see ? The site of the city is what ? What do we 
find in the southern part ? What do we see in the modern 
hovels ? What do we behold realized ? Where are those 
words found ? To what period has the chapter reference ? 
When was this ? What can nothing exceed ? 

3. What is said of other inhabited places? What of 
the whole country ? Could we see it as it was in Bible 
times, what should we discover ? What of every island ? 
What of their influence? What of the preeminence of 
Tyre and Sidon ? 

4. What of the government of Phoenicia? What of 
each city ? The title of its rulers ? What of Hiram ? 
What was he not ? How of the colonized cities ? What 
saying was literal ? How was it in great emergencies ? 
What resulted from the commercial greatness of Tyre? 
In its days of prosperity, what ? What have we seen ? 
Yet what? 



QUESTIONS. 



143 



5. What have we seen of the distinction of Phoenicia ? 
It was also noted for what? How is Sidon famed? 
What of Tyrian dyes ? What of Solomon's dependence ? 
What did Tyre furnish him ? What is said of the repute 
of its ornaments ? 

6. What else had Phoenicia? How was the soil? 
How in modern times? Of delicate plants? What is 
raised ? There is also what ? What of the soil in Bible 
times ? Hence what ? 

7. What does Phoenicia deserve? What of the power 
of Babylon? What of Phoenicia? What is said of the 
country and cities ? Of the sides of Lebanon ? How of 
the higher elevations? What of rivers? What could 
nothing exceed ? What of the forests and peaks of Leb- 
anon? What should be added? What of the relations 
between Phoenicia and Palestine ? 



CHAPTER VI. 

1. What is included under the name of Lebanon? 
What are numerous ? What is said of the effects of the 
Gospel? What of man's wickedness? What of Israel? 
What was added ? Again, what ? What of the conduct 
of Nebuchadnezzar ? How is a certain judgment set forth ? 
What was the desire of Moses ? What would be easy ? 
What will every student of the Bible desire ? 

2. What does Lebanon mean ? About what do writers 
differ ? Some say what ? Others, what ? 

3. What will be well? To do this we may take what? 
What may be seen to the north ? What will be accurate 
enough ? How far from this latitude to Sidon ? What is 
included? What is said of mountains and valleys? 
What in some places? In other places? What of the 
ridges ? Of the heights ? Of the tops ? We find what ? 

4. What do we observe in particular ? The direction ? 
We see what ? What does the valley form ? One division 
embraces what ? The other what ? 

5 What have we noticed ? There is what ? Of what 
do we not hesitate ? What does the map show ? The dis- 
tinctive names ? What else do we observe ? The distinct- 
ive name of this ? What about the valley ? 

6. What is there in the latitude of Sidon ? South of 



QUESTIONS. 



this, what? What of the separate hills and valleys? 
What may we now take ? 

7. What do we behold towards the south? What does 
this seem to be ? Where does the region end ? What is 
said of Nazareth? What will be recollected? How far 
from Sidon? What hereafter? What have we before , 
learned ? What of the hills of Galilee ? 

8. What is said of the eastern range ? What do we dis- 
cover ? What of the eastern ridge ? Its course ? How far 
may it be traced? What of the last miles of the course? 
Hereafter what? What is seen a few miles from Anti- 
Libanus? What of its top? Of its appearance? It is 
what ? To what does it belong ? What is probable ? 

9. What have we seen? What of the inner ridge? Of 
its form ? How does it seem ? What does it close ? How 
does it fall off? How, in comparison? 

10. What does a general view south show ? What is the 
eastern rim ? The western ? What is the average width ? 
What must not be understood ? There are what ? What 
of the meaning of the word " basin ' ' ? For what will there 
be occasion ? 

CHAPTER TO 

1. To what do we now come? The highest part is 
where ? What is added of this region ? What have we from 
Beirut ? What of the appearance of the mountain ? At 
first, what? Above these, what ? What still higher ? What 
of the summit ? W^hat do we see to be true ? What is the 
height of Lebanon ? What does the estimate make ? What 
is added ? What can we understand ? 

2. What do we not discover ? What of cultivation ? If 
we ascend the mountain, what? What are we surprised 
to discover ? Scattered along the terrace, what ? What of 
a farther ascent ? What of the terraces ? What of the 
mountaineers ? 

3. A two hours' journey brings us where ? What of the 
height? Looking to the west, what do we behold? What 
from the plain ? Facing the south, what ? East of this, 
what ? How of Anti-Libanus ? What do we see down the 
eastern slope ? Descending into the valley, what do we 
observe ? 

4. What of the average width of Coele-Syria ? Of its 



QUESTIONS. 



145 



soil and vegetation ? Of its general fertility ? How wa- 
tered ? What of the high ranges on both sides ? Hence 
what ? What contrasts between the summits and the val- 
ley ? What of the general view ? How in Bible times ? 
How of its name? What is there some distance up the 
valley ? Of what are these the remains ? What is added ? 
What of their history? 

5. What is said of the relative heights of Libanus and 
Anti-Libanus ? What of the sides of Anti-Libanus ? What 
has it never had ? It exhibits what ? What of Anti-Liba- 
nus and Scripture ? What is the Lebanon of Scripture ? 

6. What is said of the cedars ? What of the smell of 
Lebanon? For what are the cedars used? What of 
Hiram? Of Solomon? What was Solomon's request? 
What was Hiram's answer ? What is said of the temple ? 
For what else used ? 

7. What are these now ? How large is the principal 
one? Where situated ? Where will the cedar grow ? Why 
desired ? What of the size of the cedars ? Of their age ? 
How are they now as compared with Bible times ? 



CHAPTER VHL 

1. What has been seen of Mount Hermon ? What is it, 
properly ? How is it honored ? How particularly spoken 
of? Repeat the passage quoted. What appears? Where 
is Hermon frequently named ? What is said of the Psalm- 
ist ? Repeat the passage. What is Tabor ? How is the 
union of brethren spoken of? 

2. How is Hermon situated ? What of its position ? Of 
its appearance? Of its sides? What of the sun's rays? 
How far off is Hermon visible ? What is probable ? What 
is the estimate of its height ? What is Hermon sometimes 
called ? What elevation alone nearly equals it ? 

3. What is said of the ascent of Hermon ? What have 
we from its top ? How is it towards the north ? How else- 
where ? How on the west ? What part of the sea comes 
under the view ? What may be seen near the western 
base ? What towards the south-west ? What is the water 
now called ? What may be seen still further south ? What 
across the waters of Meroni ? What do many suppose this 
to be ? What of a general view, west and south-west ? 



146 



QUESTIONS. 



What of the eastern view ? What great city is seen, and 
how far off? 

4. What does the sight of Damascus call up ? What too.k 
place on the road near this city ? Where did Paul first 
preach the Gospel ? What was formed in this city ? What 
did the disciples do? What do many writers suppose? 
What of the surrounding country ? What of the native 
people ? What is the city now ? Of what has it been the 
scene ? Its population ? 

5. What will there be future occasion to describe ? What 
shall we see ? What may we remember here ? What is 
the course of the Jordan ? 

6. What may be had from the top of Hermon ? Whence 
issues the main bulk of the Jordan ? The distance of this 
lake from Hermon ? From Tyre ? Its length and width ? 
Its size in the rainy season ? It is what ? What flow into 
it ? What of the western stream ? What does it never 
take ? What of the eastern stream ? What does this stream 
receive ? 

7. What is said of the origin of one of the sources of the 
Jordan ? Where is the fountain ? What does the name 
Dan mark ? Where is Dan ? What of the stream flowing 
from Dan ? What is said of Dan and Csesarea-Philippi ? 

8. Where are these two places noticed ? How are Dan 
and Beersheba spoken of? To what did Dan once belong? 
What then called ? By whom conquered ? What did Jero- 
boam do ? The situation of Dan relative to Tyre and Lake 
Huleh ? What did Josephus call the stream flowing from 
this place ? For what reason ? Where is Cgesarea-Philippi 
spoken of? What questions did Christ put here ? What 
was the answer ? What question was put to the disciples 
themselves ? What answer was given, and by whom ? The 
modern name of the place ? What is it now ? 

9. What is said of the two sources of the Jordan south 
of Dan ? What of other streams north of Lake Merom ? 
What of this lake and the Sea of Galilee ? What is there 
along this distance ? What of the name Jordan ? Hence 
what of the streams north of the lake ? 

10. What is said of the country between Merom and 
the Sea of Galilee? It is what? The average width and 
depth of the river? What of its course and channel? 
What is there a little south of Lake Merom ? What is 
believed ? 



QUESTIONS. 



147 



CHAPTER IX. 

1. Leaving the sources of the Jordan, into what region 
do we come ? What have we learned ? It consisted of 
what ? "What of Caesarea-Philippi ? What of Lower Gali- 
lee ? Who lived here ? Hence, what ? What of the 
speech of the Galileans ? What is said of Peter ? What 
interest attaches to Galilee ? 

2. What did the Sea of Galilee form ? Tracing the Jor- 
dan, to what place do we come ? What is said of this sea ? 
What of other localities? What would its importance 
justify? What of its names? What is it called in the 
Old Testament? What in the New Testament? What 
else is it called ? What other name ? What is its common 
name ? How will it be convenient to speak of it ? 

3. The length and width of the Sea of Galilee ? How 
is it situated ? What of the hills ? What of the water ? 
Of the surface ? What follows the sudden gusts ? What 
of the course of the Jordan ? What do some think ? 

4. The distance of the sea from the Mediterranean? 
From Sidon and Hermon ? From Jerusalem ? 

5. What of this sea and the Old Testament ? What of 
the Gospels ? What of Christ and this sea ? What of a 
city on its shore ? What further is said of Christ and the 
sea ? What of his disciples ? Repeat the passage. How 
did Christ occasion much marvel ? What of many pas- 
sages from the New Testament ? What of Christ's suc- 
cess ? 

6. What of the surrounding country in the time of 
Christ ? How of the shores ? Of the adjoining territory ? 
How was the sea covered ? What is estimated ? Besides, 
what ? How of the whole scene ? Why will the place be 
remembered ? 

7. What can nothing exceed ? How is the region now ? 
What is not seen ? How of the shores ? What of the 
borders ? What may be seen ? What is difficult ? What 
seems marvellous ? 

CHAPTER X. 

1. To what have we referred ? What of its site ? What 
is said of ruins? Where is Capernaum named? Of 



148 



QUESTIONS. 



what was it the scene ? How did the people continue ? 
"What did Christ do ? Repeat the passage. What is its 
meaning ? What of the fulfilment ? 

2 What were near Capernaum ? What of the people ? 
Hence, what ? Repeat the passage. What of Tyre and 
Sidon? What made a strong charge of wickedness? 
What of the predictions ? What of the localities ? What 
disciples are spoken of? 

3. What city further south? What was Tiberias? 
Its chief business ? What have we seen ? What of its 
present condition ? What of the view from Tiberias ? 

4. What is there between Capernaum and Tiberias? 
For what noted? What place south-east of the sea? 
What is added of Jesus? What did he do in Gadara? 
Repeat the passage. What of the miracle? Repeat the 
passage. What of the hill ? What is added of the insane 
man ? In what was Gadara not included ? 

5. What is said of the preaching of Christ ? What is 
said of Decapolis ? Of Gadara ? What of the people of 
Decapolis ? What is added of Christ ? What is probable ? 

6. What of the Sermon on the Mount ? What is be- 
lieved ? What is there near Capernaum ? Why so called ? 
When was the sermon spoken? What was the place 
called ? Repeat the passage. Where is the sermon con- 
tained ? What of Christians visiting the mountain ? What 
is added ? What of the associations of the Sea of Galilee ? 



CHAPTER XI. 

1. How on leaving the Sea of Galilee ? What of Naza- 
reth? Of the road leading to it? Its general course? 
What of those who travel it ? 

2. What on coming in sight of Nazareth? What is 
added of the valley ? What on the west ? How is Naza- 
reth situated ? What of the valley's width ? 

3. What of Nazareth and the Old Testament? What 
of its importance? Of its population? Of its houses? 
What of the monks? What can be known? What 
is added of Jesus ? What of still existing natural 
objects ? 

4. What is said of the view at Nazareth? What of the 
soil ? What of the route of travel ? 



QUESTIONS. 



149 



5. What of Nazareth in the days of Christ ? What did 
this circumstance occasion? What of the people? Of 
Nathaniel ? Repeat the passage. 

6. What of the custom of Jesus ? Of his first preach- 
ing? What did they undertake? Repeat the passage. 
What of his escape? After this event, what? 

7. What of the anticipation of such treatment? What 
is said of a certain precipice? What is added of the 
monks ? What of the credibility of the monks ? 

8. What of the general region of Nazareth? What is 
said of the view ? What do we behold towards the west ? 
To the left? Towards the east? What beyond the sea? 
What towards the west ? What is this ridge ? What also 
spreads before us ? What of Galilee generally ? 

9. What is there north of Galilee ? What of this act t 
What of Jesus afterwards ? What is added of his restor- 
ing the sick son to health ? 

10. What is there north-west of Nazareth? How 
situated? What is added of an apostle? What of its 
antiquity ? Its modern name ? What of the bay ? What 
has Acre been ? What of a modern warrior ? 

11. What is there south-east of Nazareth? For what 
memorable? Where not mentioned? What place near 
Endor ? What of the account of the miracle ? What is 
added of the miracle ? How of the present condition of 
the place ? What of the localities of Nain and Endor ? 

12. What on continuing the south-east course ? What 
of the walls of Bethshan ? What is added of this event ? 
What of existing ruins ? Its circumference and situation ? 
How regarded ? If so, what ? Under what other name 
mentioned ? Its modern name and condition ? 



CHAPTER XH. 

1. What is said of Tabor? Its direction from Naza- 
reth ? Its distance from Tiberias and the Jordan ? What 
of its situation relative to other mountains ? What of the 
plain? For this reason, what? What of the estimates of 
its height ? 

2. What of an hour's ride ? How covered ? What of 
its surface ? 

13* 



150 



QUESTIONS. 



3. What of the view? What to the north? What else 
in the same direction ? What is said of the supposition ? 
What towards the north-east? Towards the east and 
south-east? What across the Jordan valley? What of 
the view to the south ? What on the west ? What is dis- 
tinctly visible ? How towards the north-west ? What are 
near the southern feet of the mountain ? 

4. What of Tabor and the New Testament? How in 
the Old Testament? What is said of Jabin? What of 
Deborah ? What of Sisera ? With what did Sisera come ? 
What is added of Mount Tabor ? What of the victory ? 
The result of the battle? Where is the account of the 
battle ? What is added of Tabor ? 

5. What is there south-west of Tabor ? Of what is this 
the name ? Its length and course ? What of its height ? 
What of its north-western termination ? Of the village 
of Nain ? How must not Little Hermon be confounded ? 
What is added of it ? What of it in connection with the 
Scriptures ? 

6. What do we find stiU further south ? What of its 
north-western base? How far from Little Hermon? 
What does Gilboa form ? For what famous ? Eepeat the 
passage. What of Saul's sons ? What of Saul ? What 
did Saul do ? What is said of his body ? Where is the 
account of the battle given ? What is added of David ? 
Repeat the passage. Where is it found ? What of Scy- 
thopolis ? Of its site ? 



CHAPTER XIH. 

1. To what do we come, on leaving the vicinity of Tabor ? 
What is said of Carmel? What of the ridge and the 
plain ? What of the promontory ? How as seen from the 
water ? The probable height ? 

2. What on ascending Carmel ? What is added of the 
flowers and grass ? How of its sides ? What is there not ? 
What of streams? What of the soil? Meaning of the 
word Carmel ? What is added of its fraitfulness ? The 
effect of the Gospel, how represented ? How the effects of 
divine judgment ? How else described ? 

3. What is said of the view from Carmel ? Tracing the 
west, how ? How to the north ? To the north-east and 



QUESTIONS. 



151 



east? What first? Across the plain, what? What are 
seen entirely across the region of Galilee ? If we look to 
the south-east, what ? What to the south ? What place 
in particular is seen ? 

4. What does Carmel contain? What is said of the 
caves? What is explained ? Repeat the passage. What 
is said of prophets ? Among these were whom ? 

5. With what is Carmel associated in Scripture ? What 
is added of Ahab? What followed? What did Elijah 
do? What next? What was the consequence? What 
immediately after this? Where is the account of these 
things given ? What is added of Mount Carmel ? 

6. What is said of Carmel as a promontory ? Its dis- 
tance from Tyre and the Sea of Galilee ? From Gilboa 
and Nazareth? 

7. What has been mentioned ? What must be given ? 
What is said of the main part of Esdraelon ? What of 
its northern side ? Its length ? How of the eastern side ? 
Its direction and length ? How of the south-western side ? 
What besides this portion ? What are these valleys 
called? They connect what? How of the plain as a 
whole ? 

8. What of the western part of Esdraelon? As we ap- 
proach the east, what? How broken? What of the 
whole surface? 

9. What further of the western part ? What of these 
waters ? What of the river's rise and course ? What of 
the Kishon and the rainy season ? How in the dry sea- 
son? 

10. What of Jabin and the Kishon? What are we 
informed ? Repeat the passage. This shows what ? 

11. What south-west from Tabor? How is Megiddo 
situated ? Where famous ? It was what ? By whom re- 
built? What of a King of Judah? What of another 
king? What of the Kishon near by? The present 
name? 

12. What south-east of Megiddo? How named in 
Scripture ? How particularly named ? What is added of 
the Kings of Canaan ? 

13. What of the three arms of Esdraelon? Hence, 
what of the waters ? What of the name Jezreel ? What 
of the valley of Jezreel? What further of this name? 



152 



QUESTIONS. 



Mow is the city named ? What further of Ahab ? What 
iid Jehu do ? The modern name ? 

14. Of what has Esdraelon been the theatre ? Of what 
Ihe scene ? What further is said of it ? What of Napo- 
teon? 

15. What of villages ? What of the soil ? How suffered 
to remain ? What of Esdraelon in connection with other 
Localities ? 

CHAPTER XIV. 

1. What of the name Samaria? What of the city? 
How situated? Where is the hill? What had the city? 
What of the valley? Of the sides of the hill and adjacent 
mountains ? What do they present ? Of what does every 
traveller speak? 

2. What has Samaria? By whom and when built? 
Of whom bought? Repeat the passage. For what 
chosen? It thus became what? 

3. What did Samaria continue? For what noted? 
What of Ahab? Repeat the passage. What of the 
prophets ? 

4. What is said of the Ten Tribes? When was this? 
After this, what? What still after? How in the days of 
the apostles ? What of Philip ? The result ? Repeat the 

passage. 

5. What of the Old Testament ? How in some cases ? 
What are there now? What of a church? Of a tradi- 
tion ? The modern name ? 

6. What south-east of Samaria? What are these? 
How presented in the Bible ? 

7. What of Nabulus? How in the New Testament? 
What of its situation and age ? What in the time of Abra- 
ham ? Repeat the passage. What is it now ? Its popu- 
lation ? 

8. What of Gerizim? Of the western side? Of both 
its sides ? Its height and prospect ? What to the north- 
east? 

9. What is said of another hill? What further is said 
of Ebal ? What on its southern side ? 

10. What is said of the Twelve Tribes? What was 
written? What was then to be done? What is added of 
Ebal? What of Gerizim? What cannot be imagined? 



QUESTIONS. 



153 



What in consequence of this ceremony ? To what has this 
custom led ? 

11. What of the width of the valley? What of Jacob 
and Hamor? What is added of Jacob ? Of Jacob's son? 
What is there now ? What did the field become ? What 
is added of the Scriptures ? 

12. What is there near the north-eastern base of Geri- 
zim? What of the traditions? What was the practice 
of the patriarchs ? What is added of Jacob's well? What 
of the well now ? What of the women of Samaria ? What 
of Jesus and this well? What is added of this woman? 



CHAPTER XV. 

1. What is said of the Jews and Samaritans ? What of 
Jerusalem and Shechem ? What did each party believe ? 
Where does this appear ? What did the woman say ? How 
did Jesus use the occasion? What did not matter? 

2. What is said in the New Testament ? How of the 
term Samaritan? What is added of the teachings of Jesus? 
Repeat the passage. Hence we can understand what? 
Repeat the passage. What of the disciples? What is 
added of this antipathy? What does history record? 
What is Shechem still? 

3. How on leaving Shechem? The distance of Shiloh 
from Shechem and Jerusalem? What of the road going" 
from Jerusalem? How of the Scriptures? It is said to 
be where ? What of the site of Shiloh ? What of existing 
ruins? 

4. What of Shiloh in Bible history ? What did Joshua 
do ? What of five of the tribes ? Of the remaining tribes ? 
For what is Shiloh famous ? What was the ark ? What 
did it become ? What further of this ark ? How after the 
conquest ? How long did the ark remain here ? 

5. What did Shiloh come to possess ? What was held here ? 
On such occasions, what ? What is named ? What of the 
Israelites and Benjaminites ? Repeat the passage. What 
of the elders ? What did the children of Benjamin do ? 

6. What is said of the ark and the army? What 
happened ? What is added of Shiloh ? The consequence ? 
It is named as what? What of its subsequent decay? 
What of Shiloh and Jerusalem ? Where else spoken of? 



154 



QUESTIONS. 



7. What is there on the way from Shiloh to Bethel? 
For what noted? What is added of the Benjaminites ? 
The result? What of Gibeah and Saul? What during 
his royal residence in Gibeah? What of Saul's son? 

8. What of Saul and the Gibeonites ? What after his 
death? What of his sons? What of Rizpah? What of 
the present place ? 

9. What is said of the Scripture account of Shiloh? 
Distance of Bethel from Shiloh and Jerusalem ? Its pres- 
ent name ? How early spoken of? What of Abram near 
Bethel? When was this? What of Jacob? What took 
place in his sleep? What did God pronounce in this 
vision ? What is added of Jacob on awaking ? What did 
he call the place ? Meaning of the name ? After this ex- 
perience of Jacob, what? Whom did he bury in Bethel? 

10. What of Bethel in the time of Joshua? What is 
added of Samuel? In a late period, what? What of Jero- 
boam ? What further is said of this king ? " Because of 
this idolatry, what ? What did they apply to it ? 

11. What of Bethel and Abijah? What afterwards? 
What is said of Josiah ? How of its present site ? Where 
is Bethel not named ? 



CHAPTER XVL 

1. What is said of the place in Samaria now described ? 
What of other places? What is difficult? How of the 
western boundary line? What must we always remem- 
ber? 

2. What of Samaria in the time of Christ? What of 
Tortura ? What is Tortura the name of? What is said of 
Dor ? To whom given ? Why worthy of particular men- 
tion? How far from Carmel and Cassarea? What was 
Dor in the days of Joshua? What of the modern vil- 
lage? 

3. What is said of the western boundary of Samaria ? 
What of the strip between this and the sea ? What was 
east of this line? What of its importance? By whom 
built ? How situated ? What in the vicinity ? 

4. On what road was Antipatris? How far from 
Jerusalem? What is added of Paul? The distance to 
Caesar ea ? 



QUESTIONS. 



155 



5. Of what have we already spoken ? Of what is this a 
continuation ? How known in Scripture ? What belonged 
to Judea ? What is said of this port ? How spoken of in 
a certain book ? How associated with Carmel ? What of 
the flowers ? Of its surface ? What is added of it in Scrip- 
ture times ? 

6. What does the plain present? How on the east? 
What intervene? What of the Mediterranean? When 
more extensively cultivated ? In whose possession ? 

7. What is said of Caesarea ? It was what ? How far 
from Jerusalem ? What have we seen ? By whom built ? 
What of the labor and expense? What of its harbor? 
Of the mole ? How was the city ornamented ? What was 
it while in possession of the Romans ? Where often men- 
tioned? Who resided in Caesarea? What is added of 
Peter ? What is said of Paul ? What was Felix ? What 
of Paul and a certain king ? 

8. What remains of Caesarea ? What of its temples and 
palaces ? What does not inhabit the place ? Of what the 
home ? What is added of Acre ? How usually called ? 

9. What place south of Caesarea? How situated? 
What is said of Joppa? Of what are there fabulous ac- 
counts? When did it certainly exist? What of Joppa as 
a sea-port ? What of its connection with Jerusalem ? What 
was landed at Joppa? What of the timber from Lebanon? 

10. What is said of Jonah? When was this? How 
named in the New Testament ? What is added of Peter ? 
What of the miracle ? The consequence ? With whom 
did Peter tarry? What happened while here? What 
was the meaning ? What further is said of Joppa as a 
harbor ? Its modern name ? How has it suffered ? What 
of pilgrims ? What of the present town ? What does the 
place present? 

11. What is said of a place east of Joppa ? How situ- 
ated? The Old Testament name? By whom built? What 
is said of Peter ? What miracle did he work ? What of 
Eneas ? What was the consequence ? 



CHAPTER XVH. 

1. Into what region do we next come? Within what 
do we properly come ? What of the Philistines ? This in- 



156 



QUESTIONS. 



eluded what? Hence, what? What may be said ? What 
may be remembered ? 

2. What is said of the cities of the Philistines ? What of 
their reputation ? For this reason, what ? What of this 
route ? 

3. What were the Philistines not? Hence, what? What 
afterwards ? What of the Philistines as enemies ? What 
was general ? At one time, what ? What followed ? What 
is said in the Old Testament ? Who are mentioned ? By 
whom were the Philistines subdued ? What of the accounts 
of these wars ? 

4. What are named as belonging to the Philistines? 
What were these ? Of what the capitals ? What is added 
of the states ? What of this circumstance ? What is said 
of the whole country? 

5. What of Ekron? Where was it? Where situated? 
How far from Jerusalem? For what famous ? What did 
the Philistines find ? What of the hand of the Lord ? Where 
was the ark sent ? What are we told ? What did they 
determine ? For what had they reason ? What did they 
choose ? What of the cart ? What is named ? What now 
occupies the site of Ekron ? • 

i 6. What is said of the site of Gath? How far from the 
sea ? What does Gath make ? What was it ? For what 
famous? What will be recollected? What is added of 
David ? What is not certain ? 

7. What of Gath and the ark? Repeat the passage. 
What did the Gathites do ? What of Achish ? Repeat the 
passage. What did these words cause ? How did David 
evade his enemies? What of Gath and the Israelites? 
What is added of Gath ? How of the Old Testament ? 

8. What of another Philistine city? How far from 
Joppa and Jerusalem? What of its site? How at the 
present time ? How situated with reference to a great 
road? Hence, what? What of Tartan ? Who was Tartan ? 

9. Wherein was Ashdod like the other cities ? It was 
several times what? What was a reproach? What is 
said of the city ? How long was this siege ? From whom ? 
What was foretold ? What of it afterwards ? How known 
in the New Testament ? What of Philip ? What of exist- 
ing ruins ? 

10. What south-west of Ashdod? How situated? How 
fortified ? To whom an enemy ? What is added of the 
Israelites ? What of the adjoining country ? How was 



QUESTIONS. 



157 



Askelon noted ? What did Herod do ? What is added of 
the city ? What remain ? What of the desolation ? What 
is fulfilled? 

11. What of Gaza? What did it become? Where is 
its site ? Where was the ancient city ? What may Gaza 
be considered ? What of its relative situation ? What of 
a military road? What of every conqueror? Hence, 
what ? Who possessed Gaza ? 

12. What of Joshua ? Afterwards, what ? In time what 
happened ? Who came as an avenger ? Of what was Gaza 
the scene ? What did Samson do here ? What further is 
said of Samson ? What is said of David ? Hence, what ? 
What of Alexander? What is added of the conquered 
people ? What of the people in the surrounding regions ? 

13. What of the situation of ancient Gaza ? Where do 
these now appear ? What of the adjacent soil ? What on 
the north ? On the east ? What goes through the place ? 
The present population ? What is said of the evangelist 
Philip ? What of the phrase " which is desert n ! 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

1. What is said of the description of Judea thus far ? 
It also embraces what ? How do we come to Beersheba ? 
What will this place be ? 

2. What on the route from Gaza to Beersheba ? What 
of its history? After the destruction of Sodom, what? 
What during the famine ? What of the Kings of Gezar ? 
To whom was the place awarded ? What of it in history ? 
What do not exist ? 

3. What is said of the southern border of Palestine? 
The direction and distance of Beersheba from Jerusalem ? 
What does Beersheba mark ? Hence, what ? What of 
the phrase " from Dan to Beersheba " ? Of the phrase 
" from Beersheba over unto Dan " ?' For what was Beer- 
sheba famous ? What is added of Abraham ? What of a 
well ? What of the name ? What was planted and con- 
secrated ? What was transferred ? What of Samuel's sons ? 
What of Elijah? What after the captivity? What still 
exist ? What of ruins ? 

4. To what does a journey north bring us ? What may 
we remember? What do we discover? What of the 

14 



158 



QUESTIONS. 



coast and of the interior? What of the hills? Of the 
soil ? What on the hill-sides ? What of the air and cli- 
mate ? What of the elevation of Hebron ? 

5. What is said of Hebron ? Of its antiquity ? What 
called at first? Who was Arba? What of the Anakims? 
What was the place also called? What of three patri- 
archs ? What is said of the Israelites ? To whom given ? 
Afterwards, what? What was it made? What is added 
of David ? Here was what ? What on becoming king of 
all Israel ? What is said of this circumstance ? What is 
said of Rehoboam ? What of the prophets and the New 
Testament ? What is said of the site of Hebron ? What 
still exists? What happened here? It is now what? 
What are visitors shown ? How far is Hebron from Jeru- 
salem ? 

6. What do we reach north of Hebron ? Its name ? 
Who was born here ? What is said of the traveller ? 
What is remembered ? Hence, what ? Of what was it the 
scene ? What aside from these events ? Repeat the pas- 
sage. What is here contrasted ? 

7. How known in Scripture ? How distinguished from 
another Bethlehem ? What other name is given ? What 
are shown strangers ? What is an object of great inter- 
est ? By whom built ? What else of this woman ? What 
does the Church of the Nativity exhibit? What was 
thought? What is said of the pools? What on the 
north-east ? What do many suppose ? What has Bethle- 
hem been? How situated? The present population? 
What is said of a short journey to the north ? 



CHAPTER XIX. 

1. What is said of ancient Jerusalem? What is said 
of its importance? What of important events? Yet 
what ? What of Jerusalem and the Jews ? Of what the 
centre ? What of the Jewish religion ? What though an 
enemy took all the rest of Palestine ? What though he 
conquered only Jerusalem? While the city remained, 
what ? When destroyed, what ? What is added touching 
the importance of Jerusalem ? In what must we be un- 
usually particular ? With what may we properly begin ? 

2. How is Jerusalem first definitely known ? What is 



QUESTIONS. 



159 



said of Abraham ? What is thought ? What is added of 
this supposition? How early mentioned? What of the 
Jebusites? Where was their capital? An army of Is- 
raelites did what? The consequence? Who were the 
children of Judah? What of the wars against the Jebu- 
sites ? What may be added ? 

3. What was reserved for David ? What is added of 
his power? What did he make of Zion? Repeat the 
passage. What did David do at this time ? 

4. What was David's first care ? Where was it brought ? 
What of Jerusalem on possessing the ark ? What of 
David's son ? His great work? The great achievement ? 
Its site ? What is added of the temple ? How forever 
known? What was put into it? How called? How 
revered ? And so Jerusalem became what ? Repeat the 
passage. 

5. What of Solomon's son? What is said of the king- 
dom? What of the tribes of Israel? What of the re- 
volted tribes? Of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin? 
What of Jerusalem ? What of the word Jew ? 

6. How of Jerusalem after the death of Solomon ? How 
under different kings? What happened to it several 
times ? By whom conquered ? What of Jehoash ? Un- 
der what particular kings did it prosper ? Finally, what ? 
When was this ? What did Nebuchadnezzar do ? What 
carry to Babylon ? What of the conquered Jews ? What 
is this called ? 

7. What purpose had Divine wisdom? What at the 
end of the captivity ? Who was the leader ? What of 
the enemies of the Jews? What of the sacred vessels, 
and the worship of Jehovah ? What were occasions of 
great joy? 

8. How long from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the 
time of Christ ? What of its history meantime ? What 
of a few events ? What of Alexander ? What of a King 
of Egypt? Of a Syrian king? What further did An- 
tiochus do? The city, however, did what? What of a 
very wicked and cruel king ? A few years before Christ, 
what ? What is sometimes said of Herod ? How of Her- 
od's temple compared with Solomon's ? 

9. What of the durability of the greatness of Jerusa- 
lem? What had Infinite Wisdom purposed? What is 
added of the Jews? What was to be accomplished? 



160 



QUESTIONS. 



What did Christ know ? What of his predictions ? Re- 
peat the passage. What did he say of Jerusalem ? 

10. What is said of the fulfilment of these predictions ? 
Titus did what ? What is added of the temple ? What 
of the Jews since the destruction of Jerusalem? Yet 
what of the Jews' belief? What of this expectation? 



CHAPTER XX. 

1. What appears from the historical sketch now learned ? 
What must we now do ? What is impossible ? What of 
its streets and buildings ? What is not positive ? With 
what must we be content ? 

2. What of the site of Jerusalem ? Its distance from 
the Mediterranean and the Jordan? What sometimes 
called? How could it be seen? What of Abraham? 
On what was the city built? Formerly what ? What do 
travellers recognize ? 

3. What was Jerusalem from the first ? Of what do the 
Scriptures say much ? How of every ancient city ? What 
of the first wall? On the return from the captivity, 
what ? What is not possible ? What is thought ? 

4. With what is every reader of Scripture familiar? 
What is added of Zion ? What have we seen ? What 
further have we seen ? What did Zion form ? What of 
the wall? Of a certain valley? The height of Zion? 
What of its summit ? Of its eastern side ? What of the 
valley on the north and east ? How now called ? What 
on the north-east corner of Zion ? What is added of this 
palace? What other buildings are named? What of 
another palace ? What of a tradition ? What is impossi- 
ble? What is certain? What of the present condition 
of Zion? 

5. What formed the north-west of the city? How 
separated from Zion? Whence the name? We have 
seen what? What of a Roman general? What was 
Acra called? For what reason? What of the present 
height of Acra ? What not long before Christ ? Of what 
is it now the site ? 

6. How of the eastern side of Jerusalem? How 
bounded without the city? How separated from Zion? 
From Acra? Which was the highest part? What is 



QUESTIONS. 



161 



added of the middle ? How does it seem to a Jew ? How 
was Moriah originally? What were built up? The 
height of one of them ? What is impossible ? The size 
of some of the stones ? 

7. What have we seen ? What may be considered ? 
What of the middle elevation ? The northern one ? The 
southern elevation? What did Ophel form? What is 
impossible ? 

8. Of what is much said in Scripture ? What of their 
number ? How many in the time of Christ ? How on the 
north? What near the north-east corner? What near 
the middle of the northern wall ? It communicated how ? 
How sometimes called ? Why had it these names ? What 
other gate on the north ? What gate on the west ? What 
is uncertain ? 

9. Of what does Josephus speak? It opened how? 
What gate on the south-east ? How did it open ? What 
was near by? What gate on the east? What went 
through this ? What near the north-east corner of the 
temple ? What other gate near the temple ? How some- 
times called ? What near the north-east corner ? What 
were taken through this ? What is said of the book of 
Nehemiah ? What of their localities ? 

10. Of what does the Bible frequently speak ? What 
did Uzziahdo? What is probable? Josephus describes 
what? The most important? By whom built, and for 
whom named ? Its height ? How seen from a distance ? 
What must often have rested on it ? 

11. What of a certain tower ? How on most maps ? 
What of the account given by Josephus ? What is cer- 
tain ? Its height ? What at the corners ? What of the 
tower and temple ? What of the tower while the city was 
held by the Romans ? 

12. What was in the castle of Antonio ? What also 
called ? What in front of the castle ? What of the chief 
captain and Paul ? What is added of Paul ? Where may 
it be read ? 

13. Of what does the Old Testament make mention ? 
Where were these ? How mentioned ? 

14. Of what does the Bible say little ? What one is 
called by name ? What does Josephus speak of? What 
would seem ? Of what is mention made ? What does the 
word street mean in these instances ? 

14* 



162 



QUESTIONS. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

1. To what does the Bible frequently refer ? "What is 
added of these ? Enumerate them. What were there 
throughout the country ? What is said of their neces- 
sity ? What of rivers and streams ? How of the rains ? 
What during the rainy season ? 

2. What were necessary for J erusalem ? Where were 
most of these pools ? What of the largest ? Of an aque- 
duct ? What is said of the pools of Bethesda ? How 
located in the New Testament ? What is also said of this 
pool ? These were for what ? Repeat the passage. What 
is added of Christ and the impotent man ? 

3. What do we learn of Hezekiah ? For what is there 
good reason ? How of travellers ? What will be recol- 
lected? What do we further read? What was this? 
What was called Gihon ? 

4. What were in the valley of Hinnom ? What have 
we just seen ? How formed ? Its distance from the 
city? How supplied? What is uncertain? What 
further down the valley ? Of what abreast ? What did 
it receive ? By whom spoken of? 

5. What was near the foot of Ophel ? What will be 
recollected ? It was on what line ? What meet near the 
pool of Siloam ? As in Bible times, what ? Hence what 
remark ? What of Jesus and the pool of Siloam ? Hav- 
ing anointed his eyes, what ? 

6. What has been discovered ? What is this fountain ? 
What connects it with the pool ? What is added of Dr. 
Robinson ? Its length ? How of the upper part ? What 
does this traveller think ? 

7. What is said of modern Jerusalem ? What does Dr. 
Robinson think? With this exception, what ? How of 
the ground ? The soil how covered ? What does Dr. 
Robinson say ? What of other travellers ? What of the 
streets ? Of the houses ? What does everything denote ? 
What is literally true ? 

8. Who possess Jerusalem? By them what called? 
What of the wall ? Of the gate ? What on the west ? 
What is it also called ? It is nearly the same as what ? 
What gate on the north ? Near by, what ? What on the 
east? What is added of a tradition? What on the 



QUESTIONS. 



163 



south? What of the southern part of Zion? How does 
the gate open ? What besides these four gates ? 

9. What is on the site of the temple ? Its area ? Who 
are not admitted here ? What is also on Moriah ? The 
principal building on Zion ? Who reside near by ? What 
on another part of the hill ? How many of these ? What 
of their condition ? Where not born ? Why in this region ? 
What are they not permitted to do ? What is on Acra ? 
What do many suppose ? Who live in this vicinity ? Who 
occupy Bezetha ? 

10. The population of modern Jerusalem ? What of the 
relations of the different races and sects ? What is added 
of these animosities ? What is said of the Jews ? What 
was Jerusalem in its glory ? 



CHAPTER XXII. 

1. What is next to Jerusalem in importance? Repeat 
the Psalm. What separated the mountains ? What have 
we learned ? What of these localities and the Scriptures ? 
What of the names Grihon and Hinnom ? The upper name ? 
It bounds what ? What of the name Gihon ? Why now 
used? 

2. What of the name Hinnom in the Old Testament? 
Of what is this the continuation? Repeat the passage. 
What will be recollected? What of the sides of the valley? 
Where do the two valleys meet ? 

3. What of the idolatries near the juncture of these val- 
leys? What was the place called ? What of the idolatrous 
rites ? What of children ? Repeat the passage. Because 
of these things, what? What of Josiah? Repeat the pas- 
sage. 

4. What is further said of Josiah ? What did he then 
purpose? What came with this offal? What of fires? 
Hence, what were associated? What is said of certain 
Scripture phrases? The Greek name for the valley? How 
translated? Its literal meaning? Its figurative mean- 
ing ? What is important ? 

5. What near the place called Tophet ? What of this 
field ? It was also what ? What is added of the chief 
priests? What forms the southern wall of the valley ? Its 



164 



QUESTIONS. 



height? Whence its name ? Repeat the passage. What 
is on the top ? 

6. Of what have we several times heard ? What is this 
valley? How called in Scripture? What of the name 
Jehoshaphat? What is said of Joel? What is probable? 
What name will it be convenient to use ? 

7. How of the valley north of the city ? How south ? 
How where it passes the city ? What of its size ? How 
opposite the city ? At its bottom what ? What is this ? 
How of the sides of the valley ? What of tombs and sepul- 
chres ? What of olive-trees ? What is added of Jesus ? 

8. What is on the east side of the valley? Opposite 
what? What a little further south? What is this? Within 
the enclosure, what ? What is probable ? For what to be 
remembered? What farther south? Opposite what? 
Of what is there no probability ? What have we seen ? 
What village opposite ? What is said of it ? What have 
we before learned ? What was there here ? What is added 
of this garden ? 



CHAPTER XXHI. 

1. What is east of Jerusalem? What of its height? 
What may it be said to form ? Hence, what of certain 
tombs? 

2. What of the peaks of Olivet? Of the middle peak? 
How of the southern peak ? Why so called ? Afterwards, 
what of Josiah? The Mount of Offence is opposite what? 

3. What of the middle and northern peaks ? What may 
be seen on the south and east? What is added of the 
Dead Sea? What east and north? What further on? 
How traced ? What across the Jordan ? Across the Dead 
Sea ? What of one of the peaks of Moab ? What is said 
of the view of Jerusalem ? What is added of this view ? 
What of its distinctness ? 

4. With what is the Mount of Olives associated ? What 
before David's flight? Repeat the passage. What of 
events in the life of Christ ? Of what did he give warning 
from the top of this mountain? What further is said of 
his coming to this place ? What general remark is added ? 

5. What is said of the route to a certain village ? What 
of the site of Bethany ? What house was here ? What of 



QUESTIONS. 



165 



the friendship of Jesus? What did he often find? What 
is added of Lazarus? What other house was in Beth- 
any ? What incident is related of this house ? 

6. What is said of another village ? Here was found 
what ? How of the site of Bethphage ? What is said of a 
particular church? What of this conjecture? What is 
said of the associations of the Mount of Olives? 

7. What place is next spoken of? How of the road ? 
Through what does it pass ? How for much of the way ? 
What of this road and a parable ? What is added of the 
region ? How at the present day ? What happened not 
many years since ? What of the place of the scene of the 
parable ? 

8. Into what does the road lead ? What is this plain 
properly? Its width? To what does it reach on the 
south? How on the west and north? How anciently 
called? What of its productiveness? How irrigated? 
What of the heat ? How in Bible times ? What was Jeri- 
cho called ? What are scattered over the plains ? How is 
it no longer? Hence, what? 

9. What is said of ancient Jericho ? Of what is there no 
certainty? What is certain? AVhat of existing ruins? 
What is there reason to think ? What attaches to Jericho ? 
What of the city and the Israelites ? What of the spies ? 
Of the information thus obtained ? What of the conquest ? 
Where may we read the particulars of this conquest ? 

10. What did Joshua say? In spite of the curse, what? 
What is related of David ? Of his ambassadors ? What 
did Hiel do? Jericho became what? How are the men 
of Jericho spoken of? 

11. What is said of Herod the Great? What did he 
build? Where did he die? What were there at this 
period? When was this? What had the city become? 
What of the visit of Christ ? Repeat the passage. With 
whom did he reside ? What of the intercourse of Christ and 
Zaccheus ? What is probable ? 

12. What is north of Jericho? What of its height? 
What of a tradition ? What is thought ? What are want- 
ing? Near the foot of the mountain, what? Why so 
called ? What is added of the waters of this fountain ? 



166 



QUESTIONS. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

1. To what are we next brought ? What is this long val- 
ley sometimes called ? Its height in the north ? Its depth 
in the south ? What is added of this great depth ? What 
does the valley contain ? 

2. We have had what ? The distance between the two 
seas ? What of the Jordan in this region ? What was till 
recently mostly unknown ? What of a United States offi- 
cer ? What is said of the crookedness of the river ? What 
of the descent of the Jordan ? What did Lieutenant Lynch 
discover ? What of their passage ? 

3. What is said of much of the J or dan valley ? What of 
the lowest of these depressions ? Of the rapidity of the 
current ? How as the river approaches its termination ? 
What of the shores ? What found shelter here ? Some- 
times, what? To what does this circumstance give 
meaning ? Repeat the passage. 

4. What is said of the fords of the Jordan? Where 
is the northern ford? Near what place is there a 
second? How much further south? What of a third 
ford? What of the depth and width of the Jordan? How 
do these average ? 

5. What opinion once prevailed ? What are there not ? 
From what did the opinion arise ? What is said ? Where 
is there a similar statement ? Repeat the passage. What 
says Dr. Robinson ? 

6. What is hardly possible ? Whence came its bulk ? 
How of the sea ? Hence, what ? What for the same rea- 
son? The rainy season is over before what? What is 
added of the harvest season? What is said of another 
river ? From where does it come ? Where does it empty ? 
What of other streams ? 

7. What are associated with the Jordan ? By whom 
crossed ? How to a Jew ? To the Christian ? What of 
the place ? Probably where ? No pilgrim fails of what ? 

8. Into what is the Jordan received ? What of this sea ? 
How called in Scripture ? It is spoken of as what ? What 
else is it called ? What other name ? What of its size ? Till 
within a few years, what ? Its length and width ? Average 
depth? How in one place? What of the southern part? 

9. Of what does every traveller speak ? What of some 



QUESTIONS. 



167 



estimates ? Possibly what ? What of its sides ? How on 
the west ? The height of some ? How on the east ? What 
do they attain here ? What of the general character of 
both sides ? In a few places, what ? How in all other 
places ? 

10. What do the mountains prevent? What does a 
traveller say ? How for most of the year ? What is added 
of the heat ? What of its navigation ? The heat induces 
what ? What were once credited ? What was believed ? 
What was said of birds ? What of such stories ? What is 
true ? What is said of its water ? Of what does the trav- 
eller speak ? 

11. What does the heat cause? This leads to what? 
What of the resident Arabs ? What is exhausted ? What 
are found in various places ? Hence what name ? What 
in many places ? There are also what ? What does every- 
thing indicate ? 

12. The western shore of the Dead Sea is bounded by what? 
How of its localities? What particular place is named? 
What is added of David? What of Saul and David? What 
of David's forbearance? It may be read where? What 
came by the way of Engedi ? What further south ? When 
renowned ? By whom strengthened ? How of the valleys ? 
How reached ? What of the fortress and the Romans ? 

13. What is opposite the fortress of Masada ? How far 
does it reach ? How of the water south of the peninsula ? 
What of the southern shore ? What is believed ? What 
were these cities ? Where is the account of their destruc- 
tion given ? What has been fulfilled ? What of the vol- 
canic appearances ? What is supposed of another city ? 



CHAPTER XXV. 

1. Of what other countries does the Bible make men- 
tion ? What far to the east ? What far to the south-west ? 
What of the book of Acts and Paul's epistles ? What would 
require too much space ? What seems necessary ? 

2. What was on the south of Palestine ? Its present 
name ? What of a certain portion of Arabia ? What was 
this? What of the country which juts into the Red Sea? 
What after the conquest ? What nations were these ? 

3. Repeat the passage touching the Amalekites. What 



168 



QUESTIONS. 



did their territory touch ? What were they always ? What 
were they the first to do ? Repeat the passage from Moses. 
What of the retribution inflicted by Saul? What of 
David ? Afterwards, what ? 

4. What was east of the Amalekites ? What is said of 
Edom ? The original name of the country ? What of the 
name of Idumsea? How did the Edomites extend their 
country ? What had the nation ? What is added of the 
Israelites ? By whom was Edom conquered ? What of a 
particular city ? How of its dwellings and temples ? Hence 
what? Till within a few years what ? What still exist? 
What of all Idumsea? 

5. What north of Edom ? What is said of Moab ? How 
mentioned? At one time what? What of Saul and Da- 
vid at a later period ? Repeat the passage. Of what is 
mention made ? Repeat the passage. What was a theme 
of prophecy ? What may be added ? What of a particu- 
lar elevation ? The probable latitude of Nebo ? 

6. What was north of Moab ? What was necessary when 
the Israelites were to cross the Jordan? Under whom 
was the land at this time? What of Sihon's refusal? 
Repeat the passage. Soon after, what of the other king ? 
What of the territory thus taken ? What further is said 
of the Amorites? What of battles? The land of the 
Amorites contained what ? For what was Gilead famed ? 

7. What is said of the territory of another nation ? 
What had the Ammonites possessed ? This territory was 
what ? For what did the Ammonites go to war ? Repeat 
the passage about Jephthah. At a later period, what? 
What of David still later? How did David retaliate? 
Whom did the Ammonites aid? What may be added? 
What of Molech and Solomon ? 

8. What must constantly be borne in mind ? For in- 
stance, what ? How of the line of separation at different 
periods ? At one period, what ? What do we find through 
the Old Testament ? There were frequently found what? 
What of the host fought by Joshua ? Who generally con- 
quered? In the time of the prophets, what ? What finally ? 
What is said of the nations conspicuous in the Old Testa- 
ment wars in the time of Christ ? 



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